Thank you Mary.  Like everything in life, taking that leap of faith had its tradeoffs. It definitely forced me out of my shell and made me grow in ways I otherwise wouldn't have. The move also brought many years of financial struggle and I missed most of the childhoods of my older niece and nephew so it's a bit of a doubled-edged sword. I always had such a strong desire to be able to make a living as a writer and achieving this goal after working towards it for decades definitely makes me proud. That wouldn't have happened without this community.