An anniversary of sorts passed without a notice last week. I've been back in Phoenix five years now.
I realized this while searching through old offline journals this evening. I had been thinking about pulling something from 1997 and posting it under the heading, "Ten Years Ago Today…" but once I actually started reading those old entries, it was very clear there was no way it was going to happen. I am not the same person I was ten years ago; too much has happened in the intervening decade and the things I considered important enough to commit to posterity in 1997 are simply embarrassing now.
It was when I fast-forwarded to 2002 and opened up the February 15th entry that I made the realization that I've been back here a full five years. Half a decade since I even set foot in San Francisco, and despite the seemingly neverending dreams to the contrary, I still have no real desire to.
Life in Phoenix—while not perfect—is still quite good these days. And after everything that's transpired since my return, it's about time.