The first version of this post was bitter and biting.

The second was funny.

The third was an attempt at martyrdom.

The fourth version read a lot like Karlie Hustle’s.

The fifth version — the one you’re reading — is far less of a goodbye post than I planned to write. It’s impossible to say goodbye and mean it in the internet age, so the most I’ll commit to is ‘so long’.

My time in Arizona was not wasted. I tasted grad school, worked for Apple Retail, helped start two magazines, worked in corporate America, had life-altering surgery, became a full-time freelancer, got married, ran a bunch, became a legend in my own mind, made a ton of cool shirts, and finally figured out why I was sick all the time (gluten).

It would be far more entertaining for me to take shots at everything I disliked about AZ from the comfort of the Pacific Northwest, but now that the things I hate about AZ don’t affect me in the slightest, I’m happy to share that my animosity has left the building. It’s hard to not like the place where you came of age, and AZ certainly had its share of personal tests.

I ALREADY miss people. It’s good to know good people, and I know some very good ones. Elizabeth Newlin said something about me being a people collector (not the serial killer kind, I don’t think) during the Gangplank send off you’ll see part of below. The truth is I absolutely need others to thrive. Whether you question me, make me think, make me smile, do good for others, do good for yourself or simply work toward being the best version possible of you, you’re likely on my list. For a guy who doesn’t leave his house or network much, my happiness and success in life has always been highly dependent on the people around me.

I absolutely, completely and totally wouldn’t be here right now without my wife Katie. It’s amazing that nearly every opportunity we’ve had over the past three years can be directly tied to us knowing or doing something because of the other. For anyone that’s against marriage on whatever grounds, I can tell you I never thought I’d get married and it’s amazingly awesome. Maybe I got lucky, maybe she got lucky, maybe we both did really good job holding out until someone can along we couldn’t help but love, but whatever. If you’re scared, don’t be. It’s better.

And it could lead to stuff like this:

That was fun. You KNOW we’ll be celebrating the anniversary of the next video, too.

I grew up 2.5 hours north of Portland, so this move was a homecoming for me. While the Pacific Northwest will always be my first home, there’s no question the people I know have made AZ my second one. Keep your spare bedrooms or couches ready…October through May, anyway.

Featured Image Credit: Victorfe on Flickr