Update From The Lone Star State

It's hard to believe that we have been in Texas for a month.
Time goes by so fast when you're a traveler! We are already 3 weeks into a 13 weeks assignment, but it still feels like we haven't moved. Our housing situation has been a little bit tumulus, but I'm happy to say that this week we will be moving into our "forever" home- a small apartment attached to a house. The price is right, and it's a really nice apartment! In the meantime, at first we had rotated between family members, and for the last 2 weeks have been staying at a local hotel in Huntsville. The main problem is it doesn't have a kitchenette and only a mini fridge and microwave so we have been getting meals from a health food store called My Fit Foods which you refrigerate and then microwave. It's been nice having good meals that are healthy too- minimal clean up as well! Huntsville isn't exactly a "happening" place so we are usually in Sugar Land on the weekends where my parents live. It's been nice getting to spend time in a house and get to do our laundry for free! It's the little things when you're a traveler. We've enjoyed spending time with family, my parents, aunt/uncle/cousins, and grandparents live here, and Braden has an aunt/uncle and cousins who live near us as well. I am really enjoying my job at a nursing home in Huntsville. It's nice to be back in geriatric care, as it is comfortable for me. I have a full caseload so it keeps me busy! I adore my patients and my coworkers are really nice and helpful as well. I'm very glad to not have to worry about not getting 40 hours anymore!

Hopefully this week once we get settled we will be able to get back into our workout routine. It's something that I've really missed! I am also excited to have our mini dachshund, Macie, back living with us again, as our current hotel doesn't allow pets. She has been living with my parents and we have only been getting  to see her on weekends. 

This week is looking like it will be a busy week, but we are glad to be moving into something more permanent, or as permanent as things ever get in travel!

We are also hoping to get to go to the Houston Rodeo this week. It is always a lot of fun!

Los Angeles Top 10

Ok, I know that we left LA almost a month ago, which is hard to believe, but it's never too late to post about my favorite things! Here are my favorite things we experienced in LA (or the area)

 

 

1. Las Vegas- I know this isn't technically LA, but since we went when we were on assignment there it counts. Vegas was SO MUCH FUN. We went with some friends from church, and stayed at the Luxor, which is the big pyramid. One of these days I'll get around to posting a full post about Vegas...

 

2. Disneyland- Do I even need to explain this one? Disney is the best.

 

3. Hollywood hike/Griffith Observatory- Absolutely beautiful views when there isn't tons of smog!

 

4. La Jolla beach- This is just a short drive down the 5! Beautiful cove and lots of cute little shops

 

5. Santa Monica Third St Promenade and Pier- I love Santa Monica, it's my favorite part of LA. Going down to the pier is fun, and I love shopping at the promenade. My Favorite restaurant, Barney's Beanery, is located there.

 

6. Lakers game- sporting events are always fun! Especially when there's a chance you might rub shoulders with a celebrity..

 

7. Snowboarding- This would be higher on the list, only they didn't have a lot of snow this year so we only got to go once before we left. It's awesome to be so close to the beach and the mountains!

 

8. Restaurants- There are so many great restaurants in LA that haven't made it to the main stream US yet. Like Pieology (it's like Chipotle, but for PIZZA. How has this not made it nationwide yet?!) and Bruxie (a gourmet waffle sandwich place). In-N-Out is also really awesome.

 

9. Hollywood- Hollywood is kinda gross, and sketchy to be honest, but I feel like you have to go see it. At the very least you need to take your picture with the Hollywood sign and with your favorite movie star's hand and foot prints!

 

10. The People- we loved our church and our small group when we were in LA. In fact, they are what we miss the most.

 

 

NOT Top 5

Here are the things we don't miss about LA:

 

1. Everyone freaking out when wet stuff (AKA rain) falls from the sky and a massive freak out ensues:

 



 

I wish this was an exaggeration, but it is completely true. Earthquakes? Not a problem. Fire? Whatever. But rain? No freaking way.

2. Being able to see the air you're breathing. The issue is real. Smog is no joke.

3. The traffic. Every time I hear somebody complain about traffic here in Texas, I feel the need to say, "I just moved from LA, believe me, this is nothing."

4. CRV- I love not having to pay an extra 5 cents on every bottle and can I buy

5. Prices- gasoline is routinely around 50 cents a gallon cheaper, and pretty much everything else is too.


We loved our time in California, and definitely will be back to visit! Some of the things we never got to do but really wanted to were to go to a taping of a TV show and go wine tasting. It just gives us something to do whenever we go back! Update from Texas coming soon!

Meeting Me In The Mess

Ever feel like things just won't go your way, that nothing can go right?

That's where I've been lately. 

We have to leave my position in LA unexpectedly, and there weren't any positions available in our preferred locations. We have to make the 24 hour drive back to Texas. Finding housing has been a disaster-we have had very good experiences with Extended Stay America hotels, however, when we went to our room at the one we booked closest to my job, it was tiny (like the size of a small bedroom) didn't have a full kitchen, and smelled terribly of smoke. Needless to say to we left, and went back to my parents house which unfortunately left me with a 100 mile commute one way. We called every hotel, looked everywhere, and couldn't find anything within our price range that would have been livable. Both of our windshields got chips in them-mine turned into a crack which meant it had to be replaced. A seemingly perfect job opportunity in Seattle fell through. Our bottle of bleach leaked and bleached several spots in my parents new carpet. 

I am not making this up. 

Can I please catch a break?

When life gets messy, it's easy to question where God is in all of it. I mean, I felt that God wanted us in Huntsville. So why wasn't the transition easy? Why weren't we able to find housing? Why did our windshields crack? Why did an amazing job opportunity fall through? Since starting my traveling journey with Advanced over a year ago, I felt that being a traveling therapist was my calling, but when bad thing after bad thing started happening, I began to question if this was truly my calling. Maybe this whole traveling thing was a mistake. But what I realized is that when I am so focused on the why's, I don't see the wow's. 

Like wow, we are so thankful for the amazing lifelong friends we made and experiences we had when we were in California. 

Like wow, on my last day in California I didn't have a job. By lunchtime I had accepted a job offer. 

Like wow, I hadn't even submitted my résumé to the Huntsville job, but another job in Houston with the same company, and the Huntsville job wanted me even though there were other people submitted to the job.

Like wow, of all the places to have difficulty with housing, thankfully it was in a place where we have lots of family, and family that is willing to put us up!

Like wow, my job in Huntsville is amazing. I've never had so many patients be truly appreciative and thankful for the work I do to help them. The staff is really fun and the nursing home is gorgeous. 

Like wow, we finally found a really nice apartment for an extremely reasonable rate through a connection from a friend. It will allow us to pay down down debt and save money. In the meantime we are staying in a locally owned hotel that is also very reasonable and about 2 miles from work. A lot better than 100 miles!

Life is messy, and life will continue to be messy. My calling won't always be easy. But God meets me in the mess, in the frustration, in the midst of my why's, and reminds me that whatever I had planned, whatever I thought would be good, wherever i thought my story would lead, is infinitely less. I don't know why, but when I asked God why, I felt certain that the answer was 

You Just Wait. 

And I will. 

(Special thanks to Amy who told me I needed to write this post, and for always reminding me to look for the silver linings! #bestrecruiterever)