It has been a looonnnngggggg process getting out here to Texas. I’m smart enough to know that moving hardly ever goes smoothly and still naive enough to expect it to go smoothly. Maybe one day I’ll learn.
Feel free to skip on by this post if you have not a care about our hiccups, but I’m writing this purely so that I can look back in a year and laugh at how funny the situation actually was (still not to the point of laughing, yet).
Josh’s dad came for his graduation around mid-June. It was so great to be able to see him and spend time with him, and I know it meant a lot to Josh to have his dad make that trip for his- not 2nd, not 3rd, but 4th major graduation. He lives in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, which makes this appearance extra meaningful. Anyhoo, while he was visiting, we threw around the idea of renting out the house while we are gone for a year. (Sidenote: Josh and I have been living in his dad’s house for 3 years while he has been living in Ethiopia). We decided to go the renting route and in a mad rush tried to pack up the whole house to prepare for future renters. This is not a small house, mind you. And, it was not just newlywed’s belongings. Packing up Ben’s things, Josh’s things, and Josh’s mom’s things was no small feat. We purged the house of “stuff” that had accumulated for 30+ years and donated about 10 carloads to Goodwill. If we didn’t satisfy the thrifting community, I don’t know what will! It turns out that Josh’s dad will be returning to the U.S. in August to stay for a few months, so packing was somewhat unnecessary afterall. It was really nice to go through everything to give ourselves a fresh start when we get back, though.
In the midst of packing, we had several RV mishaps that set us back from truly breaking this baby in until just recently. We bought it back in March, but the AC wasn’t quite working (definitely glad to have it fixed now!), Josh may or may not have had a tiny accident turning it around one day, and other miscellaneous repairs kept it in the shop. Everything was fine until the Monday before we were planning on moving.
1.) The hot water heater in the RV stopped working.
2.) My car decided not to start.
3.) The reservations we had made for an RV park were lost and they didn’t have any available space for us.
4.) We still had not found a home for Kaiser, our dog.
In and of itself, any of these things would be totally manageable. Trying to finish everything we needed to finish, see all of our friends and family, and prepare to move our lives out of Columbia COMBINED with these four things did not make for a very fun Monday. Monday, no fun-day. Sigh….
We took the RV to Camping World (note to any future or current RVers: they are about the same price as other businesses and they have been great/efficient every time we needed them) and found out that it would take about a week to fix. Not ideal, but what could we do? We would have also taken my car to the mechanic’s, but we didn’t have a way to get it there, because we our tow dolley wouldn’t be ready until Thursday. So, down a car and RV. We are so stinkin’ spoiled in America that families usually have 2+ cars. Thank goodness for extra vehicles!
The last blow came that afternoon when Josh called the RV park we were planning on staying at just to confirm that we didn’t need to do anything else before we got there. He had called in February to make reservations, they called us back in April to confirm our spot and we confirmed. Done. Sign, sealed, delivered. SIKE! When he called that day, the lady on the other line said, “Uh, we don’t have you down and we don’t have any available spots until October.” Not a happy thing to hear after a day of frustration. Basically, it came down to the fact that there wasn’t anything we could do about it and had to find a new place. It wouldn’t have been as big of a deal except that that RV park was 5 minutes away from Josh’s work whereas the next closest one was 30 minutes away. On top of that, we needed to find one with good reviews (i.e. not a place where “my mama got shot” or “people offered me drugs every time I stepped outside”<---real reviews, you can’t make this stuff up!). After calling about 15 different places, we found Bluebonnet Ridge. Granted, we’ve only been here a day, but now I am so grateful that the other park didn’t work out. The only downside is that it’s about 30 minutes away from the hospital where Josh will be working and about 45 minutes away from downtown Dallas. Again, it’s not an ideal location, but it’s a great park!
After a long week of repairs and phone calls, we got the car, RV, and reservations squared away. The only thing left was Kaiser. I would love to take him on this adventure with us all year, but it just seems cruel to keep a big dog locked up in an RV when he’s used to having a yard. We were frantically looking for a temporary or permanent family to take him. There were a few trials, but no takers. We had no choice but to bring him along (We’re still looking for a good home, so if you or anyone you know is interested, please let me know!).
With that, last Thursday, we loaded the last little bit into the RV and headed West to meet some cowboys.
Now mind you, an RV is not an easy thing to drive. Josh and I both have a new respect for truck drivers. (Please people, be nice to those poor souls, because it is a pain trying to switch lanes, accelerate, park, etc.) Josh led the way in the RV. I was behind him in his SUV pulling my little Camry while Kaiser drooled in the backseat. It kinda felt like we were traveling with the circus at times, but we made it across 5 states to Texas.
our little caravan
We stopped Thursday and Friday night in Birmingham to visit some old friends (btw, Birmingham is a really neat city if any of you have an itch to go to Alabama), then hit the road early on Saturday. Supposedly it’s only about 14 hours from Columbia to Dallas.
Maybe it is in with a normal car ride, but it took us about 18 hours total. So glad we weren’t feeling ambitious and try to do it all in a day.
We got to the park around 6:30 that night, quickly hooked everything up, walked the poor patient dog, and went to find some Tex-Mex! It was such a relief to be finished with that leg of the journey. Now we’re here in Terrell, TX where the grass is crunchy and the cows are plenty. I wake up every morning and almost feel like I have to pinch myself to remember that I’m actually here in a different state seeing new things everyday.
We’re still trying to get the hang of this whole RV thing and learning our way around, but I just wanted to share something that has been so dear to me throughout this whole process. In the midst of my apprehension and worry about where to live, what to do, who to meet, etc, etc, the Lord very calmly laid this verse on my heart: “He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear, he burns the shields with fire. ‘Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.’ The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress” (Psalm 46:9-11).
Like I’ve said before, this is way out of my comfort zone. I don’t even know how to explore a new city, where to go to meet new friends, or what to do in my spare time. All of my fears and doubts are answered with that one phrase. This experience has affirmed more than ever that my God is intimate, He’s intentional, and He’s purposeful. I haven’t the slightest idea what the rest of my day is going to look like or what kind of job I could get, but I know that the Lord is good and He provides for every one of my needs (even if I don’t know what they are).
So, world, I confess that I am still scared about this journey and am still quite uncomfortable with the unknown, but I more boldly confess that my God is good no matter where I go or what I do. When He says, “Be still,” how can I argue? I won’t. My life is His, which means I will go where He leads me and gladly rejoice in His goodness and unfailing love, because life with Him is always an adventure!
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