Well, I know there are a lot of you anxious readers out there that follow me, just waiting for my next blog entry. I've been on pins and needles myself.A few weeks ago my wife and I quit our jobs, sold our home, and dragged our family from the relatively cool Washington state to what feels like the bowels of hell in San Antonio, TX. The only question worth asking at this point is, why in the hell is it so blazing warm down here?
Liz and I weren't satisfied with our jobs or our living conditions and we were looking to make a change - IN A BIG WAY. So, when my best friend pitched the idea about moving to Texas so our families could be around each other more, we gave the nod and put words into action. After all, what could be bigger than TEXAS?
Yes, of course, I made sure I had a great job lined up before we went but, it's in Houston and we want to be in San Antonio. So, we are braving the heat and are determined to make it work since there is an abundance of jobs in this area. If all else fails, the job offer in Houston is open ended.Other reasons to move? Well, the cost of living is one. Everything is AT LEAST 30% cheaper than in Washington. Gas, food, alcohol, cigarettes (half the price, but I no longer smoke), and homes are at least half the price of ones in the Seattle area. The only thing more expensive here is the property taxes.
Another reason I wanted to be here is Texas takes great care of their veterans and the San Antonio metro area is definitely a military town. As a disabled veteran, my Texas driver's license was free, my vehicle registrations will cost next to nothing each year, property taxes are discounted, free (paid) parking, and steeply discounted fishing/hunting licenses among many other things.
There are just so many reasons why we came to Texas.
How was the trip down here? Amazing. We had a U-haul with trailer and our Toyota highlander, chalk full of pets and kids. It really wasn't as horrid as it sounds. It took us about 5 days and we made stops in Boise ID, Moab UT, 4 Corners National Monument, and Roswell NM. The kids were surprisingly well-behaved most of the trip but exhausted when we made it to Canyon Lake.
The heat completely caught us off guard. Well, we expected hot but not humidity. The humidity really caught us off guard. Uggh.
My best friend and his family, who I think of as family of my own rearranged their 3 bedroom, 1400 sq ft home and converted their garage into living space and made room for the 6 of us with our two cat's and a dog, alongside his family of 5 with 3 of their dogs. Yeah, it's tight. And it's noisy. But, it's pretty awesome.
Even though we are missing our family in Washinton State, (especially my little Lexi) we're excited about all of the new opportunities that are going to be in store for us.
