Another Page Turned; Another Fork Taken

I think I'm finally ready for launch. All my paperwork, decisions, and finalizations are made and done. I'm signed on for two more years at another university.

I corresponded one last time with my fantastic program advisor from my previous school, and when he replied for the last time, he signed off, saying, "Wishing you all the best in your new life."
...New life?
It struck me strangely, all of the sudden, to think that this wasn't merely the next step, but a new and very different step. With this choice come all kinds of challenges - about a new campus, new faculty, new living arrangements, new program, new people, and so many other 'new' things. It's scary, but it's also very exciting. I saw my new school's campus just a week ago, and to actually stand there, see it, and be able to imagine myself being there, was a bit reassuring. It takes some of the unknown out of the equation.

Perhaps the single biggest challenge of this situation is that I'm moving from the coziness of a very small school in a very small town, to a bigger school in a very big city. I've been living in the city for over a month now, and while it was uncomfortable for me at first, I've actually discovered quite a few things I love about being here. There is always so much going on! I can walk over to a few different ethnic districts, browse the unique stores there, pick up a new kind of tea to sample, or enjoy a special treat of a meal. There are countless performing arts events going on all around me - and lots of them are free (this is a huge plus for a student)! There is simply far more here to see, experience, engage in, and try out.
The icing on the cake for me was getting an interview date yesterday for a music-related job I've been dying to work in for close to a year now.
So, when it really comes down to it, as much as I miss the closeness and warmth of a small town, I really think I will enjoy big-city living for the next two years.

I hope all of you academic-types who are gearing up for, or in the middle of, some sort of big transition after the end of the previous school year are having success and looking forward to what's around the next bend. Cheers!