10 Things

After a week in Texas there are a few things we have learned:

1. Apparently people in Texas freak out about rain. For those of you who missed it, there was a big rain storm here on Friday/Saturday and we got 10+ inches of rain and people freaked out a little (lot). Don't drive in the water people! Braden and I didn't even realize it was a big deal until we saw it on the news and got texts asking if we were ok. Blame it on the Arkansas springs

2. Fire ants still suck. Seriously.

3. There are definite pros to living in a hotel, like towel and linen service and not having to pay utilities, and cons like paying $4.00 to do ONE load of laundry and not having a dishwasher. Paper plates and plastic utensils it is! Macie has finally adjusted and is doing much better, and I think she actually likes riding the elevator now! Although she has really scared some people when she runs out of the elevator right when the door opens.

4. When going to see a movie, you need to arrive really REALLY early. We tried to go see a 1:30 showing of Iron Man 3, showed up 10 minutes early, and there were no seats left in the theater. We ended up being able to switch the tickets out for a later showing and really enjoyed the movie.

5/6. I have become a news junkie again. I really enjoy listening to the Fox News XM station on my way to and from work, it's a 45 minute beautiful reverse commute in the Texas hill country. Which brings me to number 6- Reverse commuting is really the way to go, no traffic!

7. Texas people drive crazy. When you drive into the state, the sign says "Drive Friendly- The Texas Way". Haha, yeah right. Driving in Texas traffic is definitely something we have to get used to!

8. I still love my job. When I say goodbye to my patient and she grabs my hand and says "Thank you for visiting with me today" it makes the bad and frustrating days worth it.

9.  HEB is awesome.

10. We are really loving the access to all the different restaurants and 'things to do'. There are some really amazing sites and things to do here and we are so excited to experience them!



God Bless Texas!

Wandering Nomads

Wow! I can't believe that we made it. It has been a crazy few days. Moving was...difficult. and stressful. A normal move you pack everything up and throw everything in boxes and unpack them a few days or weeks later. We however had to pack our stuff up to store it in a POD (pretty much the coolest thing ever) for an indefinite amount of time so we had essentially 4 categories of stuff: 1-pack it in the POD 2-take it with us 3-get rid of it 4-throw it away. It was harder than it sounds to do this, especially since we really don't have any idea different things we will need while we are traveling. But we ended up getting everything separated and out of the apartment (barely!!).
It is a strange feeling though. We were joking that we were homeless, and I guess we are kinda like the children of Israel, wandering until we find our "promised land", except we get to wander places much more awesome than the desert, and for that I am thankful. It's going to be an exciting journey and we are excited for wherever we will be in the next few months and years.
We had a nice weekend in Little Rock hanging out with Braden's family and friends before heading down to San Antonio Monday morning. It was a long 9+ hour drive but we finally made it!
I really like being back in Texas. I love getting to shop at H-E-B (for all you non-Texans you're missing out) and I really am enjoying the 75 mph speed limits all the way to work! One of the biggest differences between Arkansas and Texas so far is definitely driving. "Keeping up with the flow of traffic" is going 85+ instead of 5 under the speed limit.
Work has been going well I am working at a long term care/rehab facility in Kerrville which is about 45 minutes north of SA. I am still working with geriatrics, so my job is essentially the same as it was before.
Living in a long term hotel has its perks like free breakfast, house cleaning, and towel and linen service, but it's also been an adjustment from being in a 2 bedroom 2 bathroom apartment. Our room is essentially one big room with a small kitchen, bed, dresser, desk, and table, with a small bathroom. I think the one who had had the hardest time adjusting is our dog Macie, who still seems worried that we might leave her, and has had to learn how to ride on the elevator, which is apparently really really scary. The location is great though, as we are 15 minutes from downtown, right near Fiesta Texas and SeaWorld, and also relatively near to Schlitterbahn. We are excited to explore the area!
We also celebrated our second wedding anniversary! Cheers to an adventurous third year of marriage!

Melissa

And the place we will be is...

.....KERRVILLE, TEXAS!

We are really excited about our first assignment. I attached a map for those of you who don't know where Kerrville is. It is in the Texas hill country!
It is kinda crazy how I ended up with this position. The position near Houston, my first choice, completely fell through, and this position was offered to someone else who turned it down. I was interviewed, offered the contract, and accepted! I start May 21st, so it is a quick turn around! While I was born in San Antonio, I don't remember it and have never been to Kerrville. We are currently in the process of locking down temporary housing, and our POD came yesterday. Let the craziness of packing and moving begin!

Cheers!