Starting a New Chapter in Our Lives

I'm officially resurrecting this blog I started years ago.  I've moved away from my family and friends to start a new chapter of my life, so I'm going to use this blog as a platform to keep my friends and family up to date on my and Patrick's life.

So to catch you all up since my last post, I finished my PhD in environmental science at the University of North Texas (UNT).  I graduated in August of 2012, but started looking for work the January before that.  It took over a year and a half, applying for over 90 jobs, and reading rejection letter after rejection letter, but I finally found the job I always wanted.  I am now the Assistant Professor of Environmental Science at Texas A&M University-Texarkana.  They've hired me to develop environmental science courses, which will eventually lead to me developing a minor and possibly major in environmental science.  I am the ONLY environmental professor here, a fact I take pride in.  They wanted ME.  My university is a small, student and teaching oriented school which is perfect for me.  I'm thrilled to be here with Patrick.  After praying and fasting for so long as to where we were supposed to go and what we were supposed to do, we finally go the answer.

And when the answer came, it really came.  Everything lined up so well with the job, Patrick's work and his potential for coaching triathlon out here, the move, selling/renting our house in Lewisville (3 hours to the west), and the landscape and area we moved to is so fitting for Patrick and I.  It's gorgeous out here.  There's more natural areas and there are tall trees and woods everywhere.  I've always been a bit unsatisfied living on what I called the concrete island which is Dallas.

So we've left Dallas behind, and though I'm happy to be in an area with more trees, less traffic, and more natural areas, we miss some key things about Dallas.  Namely our family and friends.  You know who you are.  I miss you all at different times.  Sunday afternoon I miss my ward family and my best friends Erika and Chad.  Sunday nights I miss my family.  Saturdays and week nights when I'm working I miss my friends from back home, because we would otherwise be hanging out with you.  

But it will be okay.  We'll make new friends, not better friends, just new friends.  And we will always come home to Dallas and to our friends and family there.

Now that that's out of the way.  Here are a few tidbits about our new town you all might find interesting:

• Life operates at a different pace here.  No one is in a rush and sometimes it feels like I'm talking to "Mountain Man" on Duck Dynasty
• And speaking of Duck Dynasty, we are much closer to that culture now..
• For example: Our church ward here has a Elders Quorum event next Saturday. In Dallas we usually had picnics with softball or volleyball.  Here they go skeet shooting
• People here don't like shoes.  I've walked into stores an seen customers and workers without shoes on.
• There are NO sidewalks.  I've found two trails which are less than a quarter of a mile. 
• There are so many cicadas here.  I've never seen this many.

That's all for now.  Stay tuned for more updates on life in the eastern most corner of Texas that is my home now.