I want AI to help me write, not to write for me. Recently I scripted a GitHub action that generates a new Moth-style story prompt for me each day. Here’s one below, and I’ll respond to it today.
Tell a story about a pivotal choice you faced at a metaphorical crossroads in your life. What were the options before you, and what factors weighed heavily on your heart and mind as you made your decision? Reflect on the path you chose, the path you left behind, and how this moment shaped your identity and future. Consider the unforeseen outcomes, challenges, and wisdom gained along this chosen journey.
My wife and I decided that we’d move to California on our very first date. Then again, many things are said on first dates—I’m not sure that even we were convinced that we’d actually do it one day.
We were still living in our hometowns at the time: her in Birmingham, me in Worcester—both of us with a Tinder radius that you could describe as “too wide”, but actually was “just right”.
Not too long into our relationship, we moved to London—a city that I’d wanted to live in since I was a kid. A city that my wife wasn’t totally sure about living in at the time, but one that she came to love.
A few years into our life in that wonderful city, and we were ready to buy a house together. We’d built up some savings, we’d found somewhere that we really loved, and we were ready to make an offer.
On that same day (let’s say that very same day, for the sake of the story) I got notice of my green card interview. We knew that it would be coming eventually of course, but you know… eventually.
We had a decision to make: should we commit—right now—to this huge (huge) thing, or should we stay in London? We couldn’t sit on it. We’d miss our window. We’d have to start all over again.
We loved London so much. Our relationship had grown there. I proposed there. She said yes there. We got married there. We loved the city and the food and the people. We loved our friends.
We could stay in this city, buy a house, turn it into our home, and keep our wonderful, comfortable routine. We could keep saving, stay close to our friends, and keep building a community.
Or we could not do that.
We could take the adventure. We could step into uncertainty. We could spend all of our savings moving thousands of miles. We could leave our friends and families. We could just say yes.
If you’ve been reading along, you’ll know that we did the latter. It hasn’t been easy, and at times it’s even been hard, but we don’t regret it. We’d do it again. We’d vote for adventure; for the unknown.
I’d never before had such a big decision, nor one that felt easier to make. It only felt easy (for me) because I know what adventure feels like with my wife. I know that any adventure with her is worth taking.