Lately I have been focusing on what I don’t like about living in Austin. It comes down to three basic things:
(1) It doesn’t rain. Ever.
(2) It is far from my family. Being a short walk from my sister, brother, parents, and new nephew? Priceless. I love my family and I miss them terribly.
(3) It’s a big city and we are small town folks. All things considered, Austin is a “good” big city for us (much better than say, Dallas, Houston, Chicago, or Atlanta–no offense to the millions who live there), but it’s still a big city. I need to be able to bike out of town in fifteen minutes or less. I need to see nature and not unless subdivisions sprawling into infinity. I need to get out.
I know I don’t want to stay here forever, but I also know that realistically we will be here for at least two more years. N loves his job. In fact, it’s his dream job, minus the less than ideal location. I’m trying to find the balance between staying focused on what will bring me the most happiness (to move back to Missouri or Arkansas), but also not letting that focus lead me into a downward spiral of negativity about where we are now.
It’s hard. Especially when I look up houses in my hometown and they are so cheap and beautiful and close to my family and in a land where it rains. Someday, someday.
My Life in the Slow Lane 