6 Months in CA

Six months ago, also on a Saturday, Alex and I had one way tickets from San Antonio, Texas, to San Jose, California. Our possessions (narrowed down over a couple of months time) were already on the moving truck. I stuffed as much as I could into our suitcases and carry on luggage. My parents took us to the airport, and I know that there were tears. Alex and I grabbed lunch at McDonalds in the San Antonio airport, and we had to quickly change planes in Phoenix. By the time we arrived in San Jose, I was tired and relieved to see John. Some details stick in my mind, but other parts of our move are a blur. It was the first time that I moved by boarding an airplane in one place and then a few hours later landing in our new home.

As I think back over the last six months, I do feel that we are settling in here. Overall, I really enjoy living in California, especially the Bay Area. There is so much to see and do here. I enjoy the pace of life and the weather in the South Bay. I enjoyed being able to drive to Disneyland in less than a day and foresee more California road trips in our future.

After living in San Antonio for seven and a half years, there are things that I miss. I miss living near my parents. I had moved away twice before, but it is different when you have child and the family has grown. I miss our friends. We built a wonderful group of friends over the years. Building new friendships takes time.

I am surprised by how much I miss my job. I expected to miss my family and friends, but I was open to starting a new job as part of our move. After five and a half years with the same office and seven and a half years with the same university, I thought that I needed a change professionally. Obviously, I cannot turn back now, but I did not expect to miss my job so much. I had found a great fit professionally. I enjoyed my work and my colleagues and had lots of opportunities for growth. Now the bar is set high for all of my future jobs.

Then there are the little things. We have adjusted to living in an apartment better than I expected. Some days I miss just letting the dogs out in the backyard, but overall I do not mind walking our dogs. We are doing fine with less space, but I do miss having a dedicated craft desk. I do not miss having a TV since we can watch shows though Netflix, Hulu, and iTunes.

In six months, I will be reflecting back on my first year in California. I did not plan to live here, but some of the best things in my life are the things that I did not plan.

John and I are pictured near the Golden Gate Bridge on January 8, 2012, shortly before I moved to California. Alex and John are pictured near the Golden Gate Bridge on May 19, 2012.

UTSA Football: Still Undefeated!

When I started working at the University of Texas at San Antonio seven years ago, I saw a funny t-shirt in the campus bookstore. It said, "UTSA Football" on the front and "Still Undefeated" on the back. At that time, UTSA Football was only an idea that people talked about and thought, "maybe someday."

The day was today and the bar was set high. The university hired a well-known head coach and will join the Western Athletic Conference in 2012. There was no need to build an on-campus stadium since we have the Alamodome in town, but the dome is huge. (It holds 65,000 people.) Even though the first season does not include well known teams, it would be difficult to win with a team made up of so many freshmen and sophomores.

Today UTSA made history and exceeded expectations! UTSA set a new record for NCAA inaugural football game attendance by packing the Alamodome with 56,743 people. UTSA beat Northeastern State (Coach Coker's alma mater) 31-3.

We had a blast today at the game! Alex did well with the crowds and noise. He was sad to leave the game and was asleep in the car as soon as we hit I-10 on the way home.

UTSA Football is still undefeated! Go Roadrunners!

Texas Conference for Women

One week ago I had the privilege of attending the Texas Conference for Women" with the UTSA Student Leadership Center. The conference is large but extremely well organized. I enjoyed the day trip to Houston, and the opportunity to talk with UTSA Student Leaders.

Theme:
YOUR TIME IS NOW!
To be fearlessly resilient. To rebound with purpose and power. To lead with intention.

The keynote speakers were phenomenal and inspiring. Doris Kearns Goodwin discussed the importance of storytelling and our own stories. Leigh Anne Tuohy reminded us that children are "falling through the cracks" and that we can give cheerfully in many ways. (Here is a link to her book. I think that Sandra Bullock played her well.) Judge Glenda Hatchett shared how good things can happen when your purpose and your passion align. You may not find your purpose; it may find you. Dr. Jennifer Arnold showed us how to THINK BIG. Tory Johnson showed us that we must take initiative. Marion Jones discussed second chances and the importance of rebuilding trust. She is now a mother of three and plays in the WNBA.

The breakout sessions were also well organized with expert panels of speakers. My first session was on money. I wanted to learn things that I could apply in my life and for a class presentation. The most important message was to think about how you spend money. (For class I am excited to use some videos from the PBS series Your Life, Your Money.)

The next session was on organization and moderated by the editor of Real Simple Magazine, Kristin van Ogtrop. Even better than a free issue of Real Simple magazine, was the message to let go of perfection. It is nice to commiserate with other women about the dust bunnies and dog hair accumulating in our homes. I bought an organization book, Pretty Neat and am now armed with a weekly chore list to help keep on top of things (while remembering that it does not need to be perfect!).

I highly recommend this conference to others and hope to return again in the future.

Texas Folklife Festival

Today we made our first trip to the Texas Folklife Festival. I had been to the Institute of Texan Cultures before, but I did not realize how large the grounds are until we walked around the festival. The festival is large and a lot of fun.

We ate Chinese, Lebanese, Irish (I'm counting Guinness in this category), and Belgian food. Alex enjoyed the fried rice and I got my falafel. We found a shaded table near one of the stages and set up camp there. We talked to the vendor next to us who draws maps. My mom talked to the Scottish and Irish dancers. It was a nice afternoon, but of course it was HOT.

Alex walked around the festival too. He walked with John, pushed his stroller, and took steps on his own. Alex enjoyed watching people, especially the other kids.

My mom took the photos today.