Editor’s note: I wrote this a month ago and finally decided to publish it.

The sun is rising, and I’m on a plane.

Part of me wishes I was on a flight to Portugal.  Or someplace fun, like vacation, even.

Instead, I’m flying to Tennessee to turn around and drive my mom back to Wisconsin.

If you’ve been following me, you may know I moved to Tennessee and then to Portugal. However, it was just for a short time, because I needed (wanted) to be stateside for my family for a while. My plan is to apply for residency to live in Lisbon, but since I was there, things have changed in my life and the world.

Now, I find myself back in Wisconsin, house sitting for a friend, working a part-time job in addition to my freelance clients and spending time with my grandson and my daughter. My sons and son-in-law, my dad and extended family are here. My mom is back now, too.

And as much as I hate Wisconsin winter, I feel like I need to be here now.

My Wisconsin driver’s license is reinstated, and I’m registered to vote. It’s almost like I never left.

Yet, I did. I saw a lot of places, did a lot of things and met a lot of people — some friends for life.

As the plane lifts off, I reflect on the most important aspect: everything I’ve learned about myself. There’s so much I’ve thought about and considered. My feelings are different, my mind changed.

Would I have been able to do that if I’d stayed? I don’t think so. Not to the extent I experienced. Leaving let me immerse myself in me. Now I’m back, me but different. The sun is rising on a new chapter in my life.

How to Be a Better Writer Tip

Let things simmer

I mentioned in my editor’s note at the top that I wrote this column about a month ago. Truly, I dashed it off on the plane in the notes program on my phone.

My initial thought was to publish it, but I didn’t. After a whirlwind trip to Tennessee and back, I let it sit.

Often, I write things I don’t publish for one reason or another. However, when I came back to this, it seemed like I should publish it. Sometimes, I just need to let things sit for a while, or simmer, before I decide what to do with them. Letting this column sit allowed me to come back with a fresh perspective.

Give this a try if you’re unsure about something you’ve written or perhaps how it may be received or perceived. If you let it simmer, you may find it easier to finish it, publish it, send it, trash it or file it away.