Precious Moments

With our move to California just around the corner, there are a whole lot of things on my mind.  There are, of course, the obvious worries.  Will I be able to find another teaching job?  Should I take this opportunity to go back to school?  Will I be able to make new friends?  Will we love it?  And, what if we absolutely hate it???  But, at the moment, the factor that makes me the most nervous is being so far away from family.   

For as long as I can remember, I knew that my destiny was not to stay in the little small town of Breaux Bridge, Louisiana where I grew up.  I knew that I wanted to travel, move to other cities and states, see other places, and experience as much as I could in life.  It took me a while to get started but I think that I have been able to let go and let my path take me wherever I need to be.  It started with my move to Houston... then my journey to Thailand... another move to Killeen (a place that I never thought I'd live and actually enjoy)... and now, California.

When Hubs first found out about getting stationed at Fort Irwin, he was not pleased one bit.  He called me as I was getting ready for work and while using a few expletives, explained that we were getting stationed in the middle of the desert... basically the middle of nowhere... in California.  I didn't really know what to say.  It was a shock.  I knew that we wouldn't be in Killeen for much longer but we were hoping for Georgia or Colorado, both military bases that had family nearby.  California was no where on our radar. 

So, I took a deep breath and for once in our relationship, I was the optimist.  I told him that it didn't matter where we went, just as long as we were together.  We could always find adventures and we would be fine.  After we hung up, I immediately texted my sister and best friend and then spent every free moment that I had throughout the day on Google, frantically trying to find out exactly where we were going and what we could do while we were there.

And now that our move is looming and the summer is rapidly passing us by, there are so many reasons to be excited.  I have never been to California, never seen the West Coast and we have so many ideas and places that we are planning on visiting.  It blows my mind that I am looking for races in California and that we are planning on spending New Year's in Vegas.  It's absolutely insane to me and doesn't seem real...

... And then I think about our families.  And this is the part that scares the shit out of me.  My sister and I are so close.  She is my best friend and my confidant.  We talk on a daily basis, sharing our lives with one another through texts and phone calls.  The longest that I have ever gone without seeing her were the three months when I was in Thailand and it was so difficult.  It makes my heart break knowing that she will be raising her baby boy with me being so far away.  I feel panicked when I think that Hubs and I will hopefully be having our own kids soon and knowing that our family probably won't be there for that huge step.

I honestly could work myself into a frenzy and state of panic if I let myself indulge in these thoughts too much...but I will refrain from that.  Instead, I choose to take every opportunity that I can, spend time with both of our families, and relish each precious moment that we get with them. 

Because, in reality, shouldn't we have been doing that all along???