Well, it's been a few months since I've had a life event significant enough to want to spend time talking about me. That all changed three weeks ago.
Three weeks ago Megan and I started packing up our life in California. The decision was finally made that we had a good run, but we needed to be closer to our families. After a few months of planning, the trip was finalized for mid-January. TMI actually had need of me back in Pittsburgh, so the transition was made easier for us financially. On January 11, my sister and mother-in-law flew out the Southern California to help Megan and I finish packing and cleaning, then hang with us as we drove across the country.
We left California mid-morning on January 13, heading east. We had a brief stop that day at the Grand Canyon, and that was one of the most breathtaking sights of my life. I only wish we had arrived a bit sooner so we could have spent more time there.
We drove about 10 hours a day and stopped each night, so we finally made it back into Western Pennsylvania on Saturday, January 16. It was a heck of a trip and I am glad I had someone to share the car with me. If Bekah hadn't flown out I'd have had to drive back solo, so I can't describe how grateful I am for her giving up that week to sit in a cramped car with me.
I started working again straight away on January 18 after what felt like an incredibly packed Saturday evening and Sunday.
I've been here for two weeks now, and it's so crazy how quickly things come back to you when you're home. Roads I haven't driven on in years are still so familiar. Places I haven't thought about since I left pull me in ways I haven't felt since moving west. I want to see things that I know will look exactly like they did two years ago, just to know that my memories are still correct. I want to visit everything and everyone I may not have even thought of in my time away.
It's strange how it feels as if no time has passed. There was a small reception with my family the first weekend, but after that life just moved forward as if we had only been gone a week or two. Even at work, I found that things just rolled right along as if I hadn't really been gone for two years. If it weren't for how much older my nieces and nephews have gotten and how many new faces I see at work, I may begin to wonder if perhaps my California adventure was just a dream.
There is one thing that brings me back to reality, though. Megan and I are currently living with my dad. That, by itself, wouldn't be such a bad thing since he's hardly here. However, Bekah went through some relationship turmoil very shortly after returning with me, and she is now also living with my dad. Along with Bekah comes Aniela, and suddenly there are five people and three animals all living in an apartment that is just a bit two small for two people. Thankfully, Megan and I will be moving into mom's place this weekend with the arrival of our belongings. I wish we could get a place of our own, but until we get our finances straightened up, that's just not going to be doable.
A few things of note. First, as noted in the last paragraph, we did not drive our belongings across the country. We rented what are called U-Boxes and had them hauled across the country for us. I still think we made the correct decision as the drive was difficult enough in my own vehicle; however, the size of the boxes and the wait time associated with their delivery has been a bit of a hassle. The quoting agent at U-Haul assured me that two U-Boxes were equivalent to a single 15' box truck. I concede that each box is 7.5' long and roughly similar in height. The width of each box, though, coming in at 5', is much smaller than that of a box truck. Thus I had significantly less volume to fill, and we ended up having to re-pack a lot of things, and throw away a good bit more. Megan had a bit of a panic attack at the amount of stuff we had to throw away, but we didn't have much of a choice because a third box significantly changed our expected budget.
Second, while I'm speaking of Megan, I must note that she has already begun working. That first day that I returned to work, she had an interview at David's Bridal, where she was hired. She began working earlier this week and is loving being out of the house again. To make matters better, she had a second interview just yesterday at our credit union, and she felt it went very well. By this time next month she may very well have two part time jobs. I think she's trying to make up for lost time.
I'm hoping to get going again with tutoring soon. I was really enjoying tutoring out west and I hope to establish a decent client base here in Beaver County. If anyone is looking for a math tutor or knows someone who is, give me a shout or check out my profile on Wyzant.
Well, that's what's new and exciting in my life. Maybe now that I'm home I'll have more goings-on to report. I will be sure to report back here if I do.
