Smoky Sweet Spot

I have been thinking about Arizona for months. I've been thinking about getting out of Lincoln since at least September. And I've been thinking about becoming a very independent adult for years. Now that my countdown is down to days, not weeks or months, life in Nebraska is pretty good.

I've hit the sweet spot. The time when everyone wants to see you for the last time, and everyone is happy for you, but also sad that you are leaving. Even my coworkers at Home Depot seemed sentimental on my last day. Everything is coming together for me, but it also feels like it's all falling apart.

My boyfriend and I decided to cook lasagna on our last day together in Nebraska. I was worried because lasagna takes over an hour to prepare and bake, and I was really hungry. My patience is limited when it comes to food preparation. While he browned the hamburger, I mixed the cheese and eggs. We assembled the layers and slid it into the oven. I set my phone timer for 60 minutes. We poured glasses of wine and started regaling the good old days. We told study abroad stories, confessed old crushes, and predicted good things for our relationship.

At some point, I got up to check the lasagna and I caught a glimpse of the clock. The lasagna had been cooking for an hour and twenty minutes. My phone had gone off, but I hadn't noticed. We rushed to get the casserole dish out, and checked for damage. Just a little blackened on the bottom.

Although I was disappointed in my time-keeping ability, I was happy that it was enjoyable conversation that distracted me. We weren't talking about anything profound, but we were enjoying it so much that we didn't notice the tummy grumbles. Even with the smokey noodles, I've never tasted better lasagna.

It's time for me to move to Arizona and here I am at the sweet spot, one of life's curious gifts. Everything comes to together just when it's time to start over. We move and change in hopes of reaching an even sweeter spot, and I know things are on the up for me (but I better work on my cooking skills).