Hi << Test First Name >>,
People keep asking me if I’m happy being back in Atlanta. The simple answer is yes. The city that raised me still feels like home. But the not-so-simple answer is complicated. Returning home also comes with its own kind of growing pains.
Reconnecting with old friends whose lives have moved on. Trying to figure out who the new ones might be. Hoping to get back into a comedy scene only to realize nobody really cares what you did somewhere else. You start over. You humble yourself.
And yet, it’s good. starting over in it’s own way feels rejuvenating. The work at EBONY has taken me out of the office and has given me the chance to tell real stories about people and what keeps them going. It’s this kind of writing that has awakened something in me. It’s why I’m excited to close out this year with momentum instead of burnout.
Meanwhile, while I came back, others are leaving. Last month, I spoke with expats who traded the U.S. for Mexico in search of safety, sanity and a shot at peace. Their stories made me ask: what does “home” really mean, and what are we willing to do to find it?
That’s the heart of this month’s feature, “The Ones Who Left.” Read it here or take a look at some of my other favorite top stories from this past year.
Glad you’re here and we’ll see you out there,
Jonathan Giles
From the desk of a slightly tired editor, trying to figure it out.
