Two Years

If you have been following me since the beginning of my “blogging
come back” you would know about my trip to Texas and you’ve already seen this picture.  If you have not, you can read that whole
story here.  About two years ago was when
I first stepped foot onto Texas soil.  I
fell in love the moment I got there.  It
wasn’t as hot as I thought it would be but I mean 70 in February beats negative
degree weather any day. 

Whenever this time of year comes around I reflect on my time
in Texas.  Unfortunately I do have a lot
of “what if’s.”  I don’t regret any
decisions I made but in case you don’t feel like reading the whole Texas story
let me write about a shortened version for those of you who don’t really know.

Once upon a time, ok no I’m just kidding.   A long
time ago when I was in college, I was a junior/senior during my Bachelors I had
this attraction to Texas.  Now I knew I
was going to further my education and get my MBA so I put wanting to go to Texas
on hold for a little.  Two years after I
graduated with my Bachelors I met someone who was my ticket to Texas.  They were stationed in Fort Hood Texas and
our friends knew each other so we ended up becoming friends.  After a year of being in contact and my
friend coming home to NJ on leave I finally bought my plane ticket.

I couldn’t believe it, I was finally on a plane going to Texas.  When I arrived in Austin I saw palm trees and
I remember the song that was playing in the car and the sweet tea that had been
waiting in the truck for me.  Jason
Aldean-Tattoos on this Town.  That was
the song that I was jamming out to with the windows open, my sweet tea in one
hand and two of my friends.  At that
moment my life had changed forever.  I
will never forget that first day in Texas. 
It was so amazing and I had butterflies in my stomach thinking that this
would be my future home.

Once I had settled in and after we celebrated (yes, we went
out the first night I was there) I was on a mission.  A mission to find myself a job.  Since I had already graduated with my MBA a
month prior I was set to find my job.  My
friend had told me I could stay with them if I needed to before I would get my
own place.  So the next day while the
boys went to work on base I stayed home and searched.  I sat down with my phone and wrote down a
list of places to find a job.  In between
I cleaned too.  I literally cleaned for 5
hours because they are guys and apparently don’t know how to clean haha.  I finally landed an interview on one of the
last days in Texas that would be my future job.  It was working for
Volkswagen which was perfect because I know everything there is to know about
Volkswagen.  I mean my dream car is a Volkswagen Thing, you know the yellow one in 50 First Dates?

I came back home and so happily put in my two weeks.  I disliked the job I was working at so putting
in that two weeks was not only awesome because I was moving but awesome because
I wouldn’t have to step foot into that place again after two weeks. 

This is the part of the story that isn’t so awesome.  Two days before I was supposed to move my
friend who had also been my boyfriend called me and told me he had been seeing
someone else the whole time we were together and that he would no longer be
able to come help me move to Texas.  I
thought you know what, I’m going regardless. 
I’ve always wanted to go to Texas and I was determined to go and make
it.  He was just my ticket there.  Needless to say after being home sick, getting Lilly (my
rescue puggle), my apartment almost being broken into, and getting extremely
sick I had to go back home.  Literally everything that could possibly go wrong did.  So I packed
my bags once again, somehow got Lilly to sit patiently in the car, and I was
off for a 1600+ mile drive back home to NJ.

When I came home I had to start my life all over again.  While I was in Texas I did a little bit of self discovery.  I ended up coming home and changing my life.  The friends I had were not supportive of anything I did and actually made fun of me for furthering my education so I decided this is my chance to really start fresh.  That ended up
being the greatest decision I could make.

A few months down the road I landed the job I am at
now.  It literally was a blessing.  I could finally live a comfortable life style
and with this economy it was a dream come true.

Here I am, two years after that day I had sweet tea for the
first time and sat in a truck with Tattoos on this Town blasting through the
speakers.  There are times I look back
and think what if I had done this or that differently, would I still be in
Texas?  I have no regrets about two years
ago.  I would do it all over again the
same way because I would not be the person I am now.  I know that for a fact.

I’m glad I experienced Texas.  It taught me more about survival mode and
taught me that your family is the most important thing in life.  I’m very blessed for the people who are in my life now and the family that I am so privileged and honored to be a part of.