The Secret is Out.

Matt and I had been keeping this to ourselves and just a few others, but today someone decided to spill the beans. I know what you're thinking. No, we're not expecting.

I am probably returning to Tennessee in August to finish my education. Matt will remain here, as he has a good job that he doesn't want to leave and it's not a good time to try to sell a home. Plus, I like it here. Once I have my degree, I totally look forward to returning permanently...Or at least until we move to France, ha ha.

It's not finalized yet, because there are a number of details to work out. Matt and I have discussed this very thoroughly, and we both feel that the time is best now for me to go and do this. It's better if I obtain my master's degree before we start a family, and my goal of becoming a teacher hasn't changed. Admittedly, I am excited to continue my education.

The difficult part will be the separation from Matt. *sigh* I'm trying not to dwell on it, though. I'll have plenty of time to cry and be miserable later. Instead, I'm choosing to focus on how this will position us for a better future.

There is a small part of me that is worried that people will gossip about our marriage and speculate that we must be having trouble to be willing to endure a separation of 800+ miles. But, I can't spend too much time thinking about that, because those who are close enough to matter already know how strong our relationship is.

Anyway, like I said, nothing is set in stone at this point. I had given my boss a heads-up about what we're considering, because I felt that was the fair thing to do. She was very understanding and supportive, and asked that I keep her up-to-date on this decision. Then, today in a meeting, she announced the possibility to my coworkers. That was unexpected, to say the least. So, I can only surmise that it no longer matters who knows about this potential move. The secret is out.