Moving to Texas

We have now lived in Texas for almost two weeks, which just seems crazy to me. We actually had movers come and pack up our house on a Tuesday. It was VERY odd to be sitting by while three completely strangers put all of your stuff in boxes. That being said, if you can ever afford to move this way (or have your company pay for your move, which is how we did it), I highly recommend it. So the movers came, packed, and left with our stuff on a Tuesday. We spent our last night in our house on an air mattress, and it was a little like camping, but with air conditioning and a good shower, which is how I like to camp anyway.

The truck has arrived!

Loading the car onto the same truck.

Wednesday, we began our adventure West. We stopped in Memphis to see some of our favorite people, then spent the night in a hotel in Little Rock. We didn't push through for two reasons: we had Sprout, the wonder cat with us and we didn't know how he was going to travel, and we had to get to our apartment in the middle of the day to get our keys, which either meant leaving at an ungodly hour in the morning, or splitting the trip into 2 days. Sprout was a great traveler, thanks to some "kitty valium" that our vet provided, but by Thursday, all 3 of us were ready to be in our new home.

My sister, and her three littles - some of our favorite people!

L and I were debating whether or not to spend the night in our new apartment with the cat, or whether we should get a hotel room. That decision was made for us when the smoke detectors started beeping for new batteries and we were without a ladder. Friday, we spent the day beginning to become familiar with the immediate area, and Saturday, our stuff finally arrived. So off the truck everything, including one of our cars, came, and now, we live in a sea of boxes. (Those that know me know that this is not how I usually roll - I like everything out of boxes and put away as soon as possible. But this time, I confess, I'm tired - so I've given myself permission to do this at my own pace. This will probably mean that not much will get done until the week before we have out of town guests for the first time - then it will be "all hands on deck"!)

Anyone want to help me unpack?

So far, living in Texas, specifically north Dallas, since I have been informed that each part of Texas is unique, here are a few of my observations:

• All of the street lights and intersections have cameras, and apparently, they work. This does not bode well for me. It appears I have picked up some nasty habits, being a Tennessee driver all these years. I have already confessed to L that I may or may not have run 3 red lights my first week here, so if at some point in the future, a ticket (or 2 or 3) shows up in the mail, he should not be surprised. I have also committed to slowing down, both in speed and in mindset, so that this does not become a regular occurrence.
• The weather has been absolutely BEAUTIFUL! Yes, I know that Texas gets hot. Really hot. However, this was a wonderful welcome and a surprise.
• My headaches per week ratio has drastically diminished. This alone was reason enough for L (and me) to be happy to be in Texas.
• I am easily overwhelmed, and while this is not a major thing for a lot of people, I have not always been this way, so this is still somewhat new to me. I am, therefore, trying to accept this about myself, and give myself the space, time, and permission to deal with things as they come, on my own terms.
• Visiting Ikea 3 times in less than 2 weeks is not unreasonable.
• Not all Mexican food is created equal, and while it may be helpful to get recommendations at first, you really have to just get out there and try them yourself to find a good fit for you. 
• If you put a cat in a crate, then put them in a car, and travel with them for 2 days, when you finally get to your destination and they realize they aren't being moved anymore, they are a LOT more affectionate. 

Sprout finding new and wonderful places to sleep.