I think it’s very fitting that I am sitting down to write this blog entry exactly 9 years after I moved back to Greenville from a year-long stint in Connecticut, because here’s the thing: no matter where I end up going, I always end up coming back here.

Without going into too much detail, my “Greenville story” began with me following my parents to the upstate area. They moved here in the fall of 2006 and after visiting several times, I fell in love and wasn’t far behind. I lived here from March 2007 until November 2008, when work took me back to my home state of Connecticut. At the time I was in need of a change – that’s honestly how these moves of mine usually go – but that need for change didn’t last very long, and so on October 19, 2009, I packed up my car and made my way back to Greenville, presumably for good.

However, I ended up in need of a change again and had several things conspire to pull me to Orlando in August 2016…but while I enjoyed a lot about my time there, I’ll be honest: I left my heart in Greenville. That, combined with the need to make some pretty major repairs to my home here, led to my returning in June of this year…and while a lot about this return wasn’t easy, the more time I spend here, the more I understand that it was the best choice for me.

I love the weather (even when I hate it).

I love being close to such great hiking and beautiful natural areas.

I love the Greenville Drive (and the fact that they’re a Red Sox farm team).

I love my house.

I love living close to my family.

I love my friends here.

I love how the shorter distances and more manageable traffic (if there is any at all) make it easier to actually see those friends.

I love, love, love downtown Greenville.

I’ve been making it my goal to get out and about and experience this city the way I used to before my life became a crazy whirlwind of writing and convention planning, and I’m pretty proud of how much I’ve done, from just grabbing happy hour (or late night) drinks with friends to visiting the Greenville farmer’s market, from spending afternoons downtown playing Pokemon Go to having a table at a local library’s convention (Electric City Comicon), from attending the opening of a new brewery (Fire Forge) to finally going to another Drive game.

And then last weekend I got to experience Fall for Greenville – our annual local food and music event – for the first time since 2015, and while it certainly has its cons (mostly the crowds and how expensive it’s gotten in recent years), spending an entire afternoon and evening eating and drinking my way through downtown with some great people just cemented the fact that I am HOME.

It also helps that I’m going out of my way to find ways to be involved. I’ve moderated the Greenville subreddit for years (which has certainly had its ups and downs), but more recently I started volunteering for the Upstate SC Cosplay group and also became an officer for the Greenville chapter of Geek Girl Brunch. I’m loving every bit of all of this and continue to be on the lookout for more ways to truly be a part of this local community.

Prudence & I (GGB Greenville officers) with Bekah after our Harry Potter themed brunch

Now if only I could finish my home renovations, everything would be absolutely perfect 😉 Regardless, I’m back in Greenville, falling in love with it all over again, and I think this time I’ve learned my lesson and am here for good.