4.02.2013

Texas: Two Week Update

I've been here for two weeks. TWO weeks. Is it really only two weeks? At the same time, have two WHOLE weeks gone by? You can see that I'm conflicted. Everything is happening very fast and yet also feels like a nice, easy routine of playing with the baby and job hunting during naps and hanging out with the Welches and just plain enjoying myself. I don't know how else to do this update but in a bulleted list. Someone more creative might be able to find a way, but I am still getting my bearings. Yes, let's blame it on that. 

Texas: What I've Been Doing and My Thoughts About It (Which You Can Skip and Just Read the Last Paragraph [Entitled "To Recap:" In Bold] If You're Short on Time or Patience or Are Being Set Upon by Wild Beasts and/or Babies):
  • I've gone to three different churches--three different denominations, two of which I've never experienced before--so I'm getting exposed to all sorts of different flavors of Jesus, which is pretty cool, actually.
  • I get to play with a baby EVERY SINGLE DAY how cool is that? Those of you who are moms are probably like, so? but it's awesome for me. She's learning so much right now and it's amazing to watch.
  • I've applied for a gazillion jobs already. Okay, probably a couple dozen. Some childcare related and some in my industry. There's been a little bit of bureaucratic non-sense and run-around on a few of them, but mostly it's been a relatively easy process. If you don't count my whole emotional response to YET AGAIN begging people to like me enough to hire me and contorting myself into what I think they might want while still remaining honest about my skills and abilities--that part's not so painless.
  • I've visited Linnea's parent's house twice now and they are fantastic people who don't seem to think it's one bit odd that I'm from the Internet. In fact, they've been incredibly kind and generous and offered their home to me if I should need a place on the Fort Worth side of the metroplex. It's like meeting extended family I never knew I had, which is to say: awesome.
  • I've also visited Linnea's in-law's house and she has a brand spanking new nephew who is incredibly wee and adorable and I just want to watch him sleep that special newborn coma sleep. 
  • I'm enjoying the heck out of the warmth and humidity. Rereading that makes me chuckle, because I spent a summer in Washington DC and I could have cursed humidity into a thousand fiery deaths, but that was also 95%. Here, it's been much less than that, but still much more than this so-dry-your-skin-cracks-and-bleeds Far North. My skin is loving this. My hair... Well, it'll adjust. I hope.
  • Along with the warm, I'm relishing the lack of snow. The Texans are probably looking at me really funny right now, but I'm just so JOYFUL to see leaves on trees and dry ground. It's not like I expected snow here. I just find its absence comforting.
  • I'm learning that "waterbugs" is just a nice way of saying "cockroaches and beetles." I am not a fan, no matter what you call them. This is the only downside I've found so far.
  • I drove. By myself! And I didn't get lost. I feel like I may be making this a bigger accomplishment than it really is.
  • Well, other than missing my family. Although, I'm doing incredibly well, all things considered. The first Sunday was hard, because we are such churchy people and I am guaranteed to see the whole family on Sundays, if not other days of the week. The realization that I would not, in fact, be seeing them that Sunday or any in the near future was a little rough, but I powered through. This is not like college where I knew no one at first and spent a lot of time alone. I live with a family, who treat me like part of their family, so it's much less lonely. 
  • I got to go to Internet Book Club (I have no idea if it has a real name, so that's what I call it in my head), where I got to meet very nice women, some of whom I knew already from twitter and some new faces.We ate taco salad and tried to remember to talk about the book, but actually spent a lot of time just talking about life and I enjoyed myself a lot.
  • I also have been warmly welcomed into Linnea's Bible study group, which has been a blessing in so many ways. It's nice to have built-in friends and it's really cool to know that I can be completely honest and open with them, since we're all just trying to be more like Jesus and we all want to help each other grow.
  • Unlimited Internet! No download limits! All the shows I could never watch before! Blogging with out (technical) frustration! Candy Crush! I am never going to get a job!
There have been all kinds of other things happening in the last few weeks, but the list is getting long and I'm not sure that any of this is interesting to anyone but me.

To recap: I'm doing really well and I'm excited for the opportunities Texas offers. Hopefully, I'll get back to blogging more regularly now that I have a) access to good internet and b) things actually going on in my life again. But we've all heard that before, so we'll see. What are YOU up to? (and do you happen to know of any jobs available in the DFW area? Just kidding. Kind of.)

2 comments:

  1. I am so excited you are here and enjoying it thus far.

    And to let you know, I still get lost pretty much anytime I drive anywhere new in the metroplex. If I can make it somewhere with only one or two u-turns I am excited.

    Barb and Gary I pretty well completely amazing.

    I don't care what you call them, a roach is a roach. I only take comfort in the 'waterbug' term when I remind myself that they are only in my house because they are looking for water and not because I am somehow dirty.

    Are you going to come visit faire? You should totally come visit faire? Faire is awesome.It is where the rest of Jeremy and Linnea's people are. And I am there. And it is awesome! And stuff...

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm so happy for you that things are going so well =)! I look forward to hearing how things unfold for you!

    ReplyDelete