Sarah and I are not going to return for a second season with Pet Shenanigans at Busch Gardens. It was an exhausting, strenuous nine months as animal trainers in Williamsburg, Virginia. For many reasons - personal, physical, professional, financial, mental - we decided we needed to move on.

Busch Gardens' season ends on October 30th. Sarah and I are going to stick around for a few weeks to train our replacements, and then we will be moving to my hometown: Columbus, Ohio.

I haven't lived near my family since I graduated from high school in 1986. Traveling with the Circus for 11 years, I missed so many special events with my family... as well as normal, everyday events. I'm ready to settle down near my family and share in their day-to-day lives. Sarah is from Charleston, West Virginia, so she will be close to home as well.

We are going to be particularly close to my brother and his family... we are moving in with them! They just recently moved into a new house, and their third floor has two bedrooms, a full bathroom and space for two homeless animal trainers! I'm very excited to be there with my three nieces and participate in their growing up. We're going to be a real-life version of the TV show Full House!

We don't know yet what we are going to do for employment, but we have faith that opportunities will present themselves. We just know that we are ready for a fresh start. My mom and dad eagerly want someone to answer the phones at my father's law office so that my mom doesn't have to do it anymore. And after working so hard the past year, the thought of just picking up a phone and directing calls is very appealing. It's certainly a good place to start, anyway.

Sarah and I are very excited and very nervous about this new, big change in our lives. I have no doubt it will be difficult to adjust as we find our way in our new lives, but we also know we have so much to look forward to. We plan on being home in time for Thanksgiving. And, most importantly, home in time to take my nieces to go see Sesame Street Live!