Monday, September 29, 2014

The BIG Move: California to Texas!

Every morning I wake up and still can hardly believe that I live in Austin,Texas!
I was a born California girl, and I suppose I always will be...
but for the last few months I have been attempting to settle in to my new home in Texas.


I do admit that I may have cried the first morning (and on many other occasions) when I actually had to tell the barista my order at the local coffee shop. "At home," my coffee was practically waiting for me every day at my favorite coffee shop. Yes, I know it is ridiculous, but I think that is what made it all sink in...all the way to the ground. 

new-house-austin-Texas

The last 3 years my life has been topsy-turvy. First we were moving to Northern California, then we were unemployed...and then for one year my hubby lived in Texas without us. Finally we joined him.

During this time, I have found it especially hard to get motivated to blog or to be truly creative or engaging. Honestly I have been zapped - I slept 3 hours a night, lived on coffee and was basically a zombie. Now I never really wrote about any of this in detail because, well I did not want to sound like a whiner - I reserved the whiny for my morning coffee with my friends (I am sure they were thrilled). I am very well aware that while my life may not be going in the direction I planned, my family was healthy and we were OK. I watched as friends and family experienced true hardship and so writing about my little problems (even though they seemed big to me) just did not matter...that much.

I feel like now that things are settling down. I see light at the end of the tunnel. I like Texas - the people are super nice, the city of Austin is amazing, and mostly my kids are doing OK.

But I won't lie, I am terribly homesick. I miss my time with my favorite ladies, I miss the familiarity of my little coastal CA town. I miss the checkers at the grocery store knowing my name. I miss knowing all the teachers and the ins and outs of the schools.

I told my husband I was "too old" to do this again. And, I just got one of those looks.

So, I am doing it again. We made the decision for me to be a (mostly) stay-at-home mom. With that came the knowledge that we might have to move again...and again (although I hoped not)...and so here we are.

I have already learned (and I know there is a lot more):
  • that you have to wave at everyone in the neighborhood as you drive by.
  • that mostly everyone is really nice...except at the grocery store, and especially on the weekends.
  • that you have to say you like football (even if you do not).
  • which team colors you can or cannot wear (a shirt is not just a shirt here) on game day.
  • what a fire ant hill (or hole) looks like... the hard way, I might add.
  • that scorpions are your friends because they eat other icky bugs.
  • some days even air conditioning does not help..
  • that "y'all" is a contagious word.
  • that I may get grumbled at when I say I am from California (but I am going to wear my California-ness loud and proud!)...apparently there are a lot of us here (I already knew that)
Yes I miss California and my 50+ year old ranch on the coast, And, although I never expected or wanted to live in a planned community, we are. I did make sure to ask my realtor to check that we were not on sacred land or a burial ground of any type - because this all felt very "Poltergeist" to me. 

Of course, this new house has a 4 car garage (can you say flea market???) and I get my own crafty space! I have already begun DIYing - I ripped out the carpet in the studio and stained the concrete (my husband is speechless).Which leads me to this...


  • I am ready to be creative (well, I never stopped I just did not blog about it).
  • I am ready to DIY (this house needs some character - some me!).
  • I am ready to enjoy my family and my new friends (until they discover that I am crazy and take photos of everything).
  • I am ready to go back to enjoying blogging again, like I did in the beginning.
  • To find my true voice again...to inspire and be inspired.
  • Mostly I am ready to follow through on some of my dreams - Dreams of creating a product (Shark Tank!) and owning a business again, of creating my own path to the future.
So...those are the plans...and well, they may all go flying out the window...but at least its a start!
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This post is written and created at 504 Main by Holly Lefevre

6 comments:

  1. Welcome to Texas!! I understand you miss your other home and hoping you will get to move back there someday.

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  2. Wishing you much happiness in your new home...I bet those plans going flying - but in a good way!...Flying high!

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  3. Welcome to the Midwest! I'm in Kansas City and have been to Texas several times and love it! Now you are closer to better BBQ and closer to Houston and the Gulf! Texas is a great place and I hope you settle in and enjoy the new place. I can't wait to see all of your creativity come alive as you start decorating and making your house a home!

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  4. The closest I ever came to Texas was a couple of hours layover in the airport in Dallas. Texas is blessed to have you and I just know your new neighborhood is better because they now have you residing there! I wish "ya'll" a lot of success and happiness there!

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  5. Holly, I'm so glad to hear that you and your family are finally all in the same place...here in TX. It will take time to adjust and find your groove, but I'm confident it will happen soon. Sound's like you've got a good start. You are a "do-er" and have been a "pull up your bootstraps" kinda gal all along. Welcome to Texas. Looking forward to seeing all the fun things you'll share.
    Blessings,
    Nici

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  6. Holly, I'm going through a lot of changes as well just a totally different kind. So, I know first hand how it can throw you in a tailspin. I am also getting myself back in the grove. I have been blogging about it on Monday's as an outlet for me to heal and move on. You will adjust and it will be better then it was. Keep the faith, girl!!

    xoxo
    Denyse

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Thanks for stopping by and joining the conversation! I sure hope you come back for more!