Good luck, Will!

I got a note from my dad last night by email and it made me sad in a surprising way. The email was an update on my youngest brother Will's search for his first job. Will interviewed with a mining company in South Carolina last month and he was really excited about the prospect, but they are either dragging their feet with the hiring process or they've found someone else. He was also offered a position kind of in his field of Geology, and he's decided to go for it. Here's what dad wrote:

"Hey, Don't know if anybody is keeping you informed about Will.  He left yesterday morning in the Jeep to go to Midland, Texas for training.  It is about 1200 miles and he spent the night last night in Plano outside of Dallas at Kit and Needie's house.  He has about 350 miles to go today.  The truck is not ready yet but the guy in Texas was tired of  delays and wanted Will there asap or not at all so he left out.  We will figure out how to switch vehicles later.  I think he may be in training about a month and then perhaps moving to Pennsylvania.  You guys are spreading out all over. Love, Dad"

Hope you don't mind that I shared that, dad!

My first thought after reading the note was "Not Pennsylvania - it's so far away!" Which is pretty ironic given that I live in China right now. But I know we will return to Atlanta in the future, and knowing that my little brother probably won't be living there when we return makes me very sad. It also makes me suddenly feel older. Andy is very settled in New Orleans with a wife and baby of his own. I have a little one running circles around me. My parents are truly empty nesters.

I'll miss Will poking his head in on skype calls when I talk to mom and dad, or knowing that he'll be home for the holidays - all of them. I have never been to Pennsylvania or even known anyone from there (that I know of), so it seems so foreign. Again, probably kind of ironic for me to say, but I can't help but think it. Pennsylvania is a strange new land for an Adgate to venture into.

Mom and dad, I guess this is what you get for exposing us to the world - we've scattered like seeds on the wind. I'm glad you have wings and you're always ready and willing to use them.