Transition

I’m learning a lot about transition.  Gearing up for our move from Minnesota to Texas, I knew that I was going to have to transition many areas of my life.  New doctors, dentists, grocery stores, streets, libraries and neighborhoods were only the beginning.  It’s a completely different climate which means the houses are built differently and the bugs are much bigger.   There are tollways here instead of freeways and, at least in our neighborhood, people take walks in the middle of the road instead of on the sidewalk.  I have moments when I feel brave and adventurous and I can tackle all of this change with momentum.  Other times, I am deeply homesick and wishing for just one thing to feel normal. What I’ve learned so far in this transition is that It takes a lot of energy to navigate so many new things at once.  Knowing that about myself has prompted me to ask the Lord to help me prioritize what really needs to be addressed each day, and to have peace about leaving the rest for later.  

God has been present in this transition and I’ve accomplished all the necessary things in my life thus far.  I’ve been able to care for Nicole, put dinner on the table and unpack almost all of our boxes.  And you know what?  In the midst of that, I made a friend.  It was so unexpected I wasn’t sure how to even tell you about it.  On our 8th day here, nap time was over, I had just fed Nicole and I decided that her and I were going to step outside to find our mailbox.  We had  put on our sunscreen the day before and taken a walk to try and meet our neighbors but the conversations we had were forced and awkward and the walk was really hot and sticky! So, I decided to skip the walk and find our mail instead.  We put on our sun hats and headed outside.  Immediately to my left I heard a woman say, “look at that baby!” and start walking towards us.  I paused, met her and learned that she was the mother of my neighbor, Stacey.  As it turns out, we are neighbors with a young, Christian couple who have an 8 month old daughter.  Stacey came out and we instantly had tons in common, especially since our daughters are less than two months apart.  We exchanged numbers right away and we’ve taken a walk or had our girls play together almost every day since then.  

I wasn’t expecting to make a friend this early into our move, especially since I’ve been holed up at home playing with my baby and unpacking boxes.  But you know what, God knew that I needed someone kind in my life to make this feel a little less isolating.   I'm so thankful God moved us next to a couple who knows all of the ins and outs of life in Texas, as well as joys and challenges of being a new parent.  It's always comforting to be in the presence of other women who are as sleep deprived as I am :).  

On the agenda for the rest of the week is working to unpack our last 15 boxes and checking out at least one of the local grocery stores we haven’t been to yet. 

I hope you are well! 

Erica