A Whole New World

I think every adult, and maybe kids too, come to a point in their life when they wish they could start over. Be someone different, do something different, live somewhere different. While all of those things sound exciting, at the end of the day, we remain the same and our problems follow us. However, it's still fun to dream and wonder.

I'll never forget the CIA came to my house. A new name, new place, new life and belongings and I had one week to make it happen. Thank God my kids are so young they won't know the difference, but what about their grandparents? Their aunts and uncles? How will I ever explain?

Location was easy. I've dreamt of living in France since I was a small girl. A gorgeous historic flat in the heart of Paris, with a cozy cottage in the Loire Valley during the summer. We'll have our fill of La Vie en Rose, eating butter laden baguettes and sipping on steaming mugs of coffee.

Heritage won't change. I'm proud of my hodgepodge roots. I see no need to change them. Names will change, but heritage won't. I'll proudly wave the Scottish, Portuguese, French and Fillipino flags of my heritage. I'm all that is American. They'll help me feel like my old life isn't too far away from me.

Job, again, was easy. A writer just managing to keep bread on the table, but determined for more. Writers are dreamers, and dreamers are never satisfied. There's always more stories to tell, and goals to reach.

My new name. What's in a name? I've always hated that question because a name holds so much. Before I was married "Ali Roberts" was my name, and all of my experiences up to that point along with it. It represented all of me and who I was. When I got married, "Ali Pennell" took such a long time to get used to. Who was Ali Pennell? I didn't know. She was new to me. Was Ali Roberts still in there? I sure hoped so, but I also knew there were things I wanted to grow into and maybe Ali Pennell was the girl to do it. So, a new name. That was the hardest decision for me. Ultimately I decided on a name that would keep my old life close while keeping the door to new adventures open: Josephine Sharon Murray.