Reflections on Moving

One of my best friends recently accepted a job in Corpus Christi and is getting ready to move in the next week from El Paso clear to the other side of Texas. This is her first big move on her own and her first move as an adult from out of El Paso. As she gets herself ready to go I have been thinking a lot about all the moves I have made and how hard each were in their own different way. I left El Paso at 18 and headed to Lubbock for college. That move was mostly incredibly exciting. I knew a ton of people that would be up there with me in the band. I use to go to band camp every summer at Texas Tech so it almost felt like I was going to an extended band camp! haha. Michael was up there too so of course, that made moving very easy ;o) ! I suppose this move I had to learn how to live on my own, do my own laundry, I had to figure out what I was doing for dinner. Stuff like that. Again, Michael was there and kinda learning to do the same things (even though he was in his hometown, he was living on his own as well) so we learned together. When you think about it, we were 18 when we started dating so its like we grew up together! haha. cute :o) After my 1 year in the dorms I had two more moves within Lubbock which were always fun and had their own challenges. I lived in a single room in the dorms, but moved into an apartment with Mary so had to learn to live with someone else, pay bills and all that fun stuff. Mostly we had a lot of fun!! Then I moved in with Michael. That was a VERY easy move. No rent, no bills, and it was there I learned how to go to school. Michael was a good influence on my education! All of a sudden I was on the Deans and Presidents list every semester. I'm sure that made my mom a little more at ease with me living with my "boyfriend" The BIGGEST move was obviously to Denmark. That was by far the most exciting move, but most difficult at the same time. We were thrown into a country and a culture we had just read about and not experienced yet. We didn't understand the language and their way of live. We were alone and the closest friends we had were in New York, we didn't get to talk to our family or friends much especially on the phone, but wow, the internet was a life saver :) At the time I couldn't imagine a harder move, but oddly, coming home was very difficult and had to experience culture shock in our own country which was strange and very hard to explain. I think, it was hard to come home because we simply weren't ready yet. We had JUST gotten use to and comfortable with life there, we finally got to a point where we really understood the people and the culture and even the language. Plus, who wants to leave a place you can say, "Hey you want to go to Paris this weekend?" and go?? :o) So that move was only ok because we were excited to see everyone again, especially our families. We got REALLY comfortable in Lubbock the past two years. We had everything, my brother, Michaels whole family, a cool little get away to his dads house which was on a lake and Mary and Jason! So moving to Allen, from there, as you all know, wasn't easy. It didn't help that as long as I can remember I have always said, I would NEVER move to Dallas. Isn't it funny how life doesn't always go the way you plan!!??!!?? I do however am starting to realize its a good thing we came here before Denmark because I know we would be sooooooo homesick if we left Lubbock to go to Denmark. This has been a nice transition, we dealt with homesickness here and have been able to make it back there a couple times. By the time we leave from Denmark we will already be use to living away from Lubbock. I'm curious as to how our move over there will be. I anticipate it being much easier this time around because the things that were hard for us to get use to, are the things we learned to love and ended up missing the most. We won't have to go through that weird learning stage of not knowing anything because, we already know so much. This time, we know more people over there. Klaus, who works with Michael and went to Tech with the same program that Michael went to the university in Denmark will be going back at the same time we are and I know he will take care of us if we need it. So now that we have gotten here, settled here, and use to things here, I'm starting to wonder how our move will go and start getting ready for it. It was last year this time we were starting to get ready to move here.

Back to where I started, keep my friend in your thoughts for a safe and easy move! I know it is exciting for her and a new chapter in her life, but I know she will have a difficult time leaving what has been her home for the past 14ish years and especially since she is doing this alone without anyone else right by her side and doesn't know anyone down in Corpus. She's a tough little girl though, and she is just minutes from the beach so when she's feeling down, I bet she can just head to the beach, open up a towel, lay down, listen to the ocean and her thoughts will be soothed. I'm hoping to make it down there in April or May for a visit!