Hello again blog readers, it’s Andy. Long time no virtually see. And really you’ve only seen my words and not my face, because I can’t figure out how to create an avatar that shows up by my posts each time. And I’ve never seen you, if “you” even exist. I could be writing to the empty abyss of the internet world. Heck this could just be my personal journal that I write about thoughts and no one actually sees. Anywhoosier, I’m getting off track (btw I use the phrase “anywhoosier” as a play on words combining “anywho” and “Hoosier” since I am a native Indiana bloke—trademark goes to Adelle Samaha though, I just stole it because a) it’s obviously awesome and b) because she gets mad when I steal things from her). And maybe we’re not off track, because I changed the name of my blog posts to “Inside the Mind,” so I guess you’re catching a glimpse of my rabbit trail of a mind, thus demonstrating the fact that we’re technically on track, I guess. Regardless, this annoying tangent brings me to why this segment is described as “New Chapters.”
The name change began with me thinking about the topics I write about, which typically are my thoughts and experiences, and it obviously comes from my mind. Also, it eliminated the designated day of the week on which I wrote each post “Saturday Spitballin’” if you recall. Now I can post on any day I want ‘cause I’m a free man and I can do what I want. Pretty genius, huh? I’d like to think so (I also use this phrase too much, but that’s beside the point. And it’s “beside” the point, not “besides” the point #petpeeve). The other reason this post is entitled as such is because I recently moved to Dallas, TX, from the great state of Indiana. Indiana has been my home for the first 25 years of my short life and has been more than amazing to me. From my family to best friends to mentors to highs and lows to what have you, Indiana has morphed me into who I am now. But, it’s time for something new. I am unsure whether I’ve posted this before because I forget who I tell things to, but I am entering a Ph.D. program in Counseling Psychology at the University of North Texas. Talk about something new, am I right? My goal is to become a sport psychologist for teams and athletes, and this is the program to help get me there. Also, I’ve never lived in a city of more than 80k people, and now I currently reside in the 9th largest city in the United States (per the ever-so-trustworthy Wikipedia). So, this entire experience is going to be quite new. I am beyond grateful and blessed for the time I spent in Indiana and the people whom I hold so dearly to my heart, but every good book needs new chapters with different turns and twists. And the best ones are those of which you are unsure how they will end or where the plot will go, which happens to coincide with the current state of the book that is my life. All I know is a new chapter is starting in Dallas, and the journey, relationships, and experiences that are to come only evoke more excitement in the deepest parts of my soul.
