Saturday, February 23, 2013

I don't even know if people blog anymore...

But as a newbie in a different part of the country, for some reason, I'm hopeful that it will make me feel closer to some of my faraway friends.
I've had so many thoughts recently about moving and my life in San Francisco, that I've figured I need a space to write them and remember them.  Picking up and moving across the country without a job or a place to live with your significant other forces you to grow in ways that you never thought possible.

Here is something that I'm learning about myself right now:
I have to be independent and make my own decisions, whether or not everyone who cares about me in my life will agree with me.
I don't want to be so overcommitted in this place that I lose sight of who I am and what I care about.
I have been, still am, and always will be a people-pleaser.  It's hard to say for me to say no to people or that I don't agree with them in some way.
I need sand and sun, to be warm, most of the time.
I like having creative outlets.  Recently, I find myself craving to create, but I don't even know what that looks like when all of my boxes are jumbled together in a friend of a friend's garage.
I care about education.  I think that I still want to teach even though I had such a traumatic experience last fall and am hopeful that I can feel redeemed doing it once more.
I like to read, a lot.

And of course, what I've learned so far about Texas:
People are either shocked or supportive when they learn that you just moved here from San Francisco.  Shocked as in, "How could you ever leave such a beautiful place?" and supportive as in, "Why would you ever want to live in California?"
Life is slower-paced and waiting at the DMV can still take a long time.
Roads are named FM and RM (farm to market and ranch to market).
Everything is cheaper than California.
It is 80 degrees outside most days in February, but people still dress as though it is winter.
People drive their cars right on the beach.
The grocery stores have everything you've ever wanted or needed to buy.
There are movie theaters or drafthouses where you can order beer and food! from your seat.
Food trucks stay parked in one place, they don't leave.
Everyone waves to each other.

Everyday I feel like I realized one hundred more things about myself that I knew were there before but didn't acknowledge.  All of this peace and quiet by the lake has gotten me to reflect on this recent turn of events.


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