Okay, not sure I ever thought I would write a blog, let alone two, but it seems that I am back by popular demand! Well, maybe that is going a little overboard, but there have been a handful of friends who have told me that they wanted me to blog about the move and all of the adventures that ensue since they enjoyed the one I did about my road trip last fall. If you are not one of those people who enjoyed that one, stop reading now!
So ...... where to start! I spent the first 25 years of my life in the state of Kansas (mostly --- there was a little time in Nebraska sprinkled in there too), then nearly 25 years far away. As I am creeping up on my 50th birthday this summer, I guess it seems only fitting that I return! (Does this mean big things are in store when I turn 75?!) If you would have asked me 6 months ago if I was going to move back to Kansas, I am sure the quick answer would have been "no way". My how things change. Last January Brad heard about a job in Wichita that suddenly intrigued him and I followed along like a puppy for while, playing along and never thinking it was going to happen. Lo and behold, we went for a first interview and while we knew the job would be a great job, we were both rather shocked at how much we felt a pull to home. I don't think either of us expected that after living such an independent life, very far from most family members. So we talked about it, slept on it for a few weeks, talked some more and finally realized that yes, this was something we were thinking we wanted to do!
Brad was offered the job of Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education for the University of Kansas School of Medicine at their Wichita campus and accepted it. In plain English, this means that he basically oversees all of the residency programs for the Wichita campus. His first love has always been education and we both have continued to have a soft spot for our alma mater - the University of Kansas. The Wichita campus of the Med School is expanding into it's own 4 year program and there is lots of growth and excitement going on right now and we think it's going to be fun to be a part of! It probably means that there will be more civic functions for us and I will have to "clean up" more often, but that's what happens when you marry an overachiever I guess! In the military I had to go find a ballgown, but I am sure hoping that this time there will be a lot more blue jean events!
So the choice was made to take the job and then the fun really started. We found a house in Wichita we loved and made an offer. After some back and forth, it was accepted before we ever put our house on the market here. Let me tell you, that is a very frightening thing in this economy! It made for one very nervous girl on my part!! The thought of two mortgages was enough to give me an ulcer. But we got lucky and put our house on the market and had an offer within 36 hours! Wow! And to tell you just how good the karma is around this move, we close on the house in Utah on Monday, June 6th and we close on the house in Wichita on Thursday, June 9th! It's a two day drive, so the timing couldn't be any better.
So, this blog will be about the grand adventure that lies ahead....... my return to the land of Oz. I hope I know what I'm in for as I sit here and type this and it's a brisk 60 degrees outside ..... and then I go on weather.com and see that's it's supposed to be in the 90's when I arrive in Kansas - with lots of humidity too, I'm sure! I have a feeling there will definitely be some adjustment going on this summer!!
But there just seems to be too many things going right with this move for it not to be meant to be. Hey, I even had to sell my washer and dryer here and I literally sold it the day I used my last dryer sheet! Serendipity!
Brad's parents live in Wichita, as does one of his sisters, and a few nieces and nephews. My mother will be three hours away and we figure that about 90% of both of our families are within a 3 hour drive. That alone should prove to provide fodder for some interesting posts!
So life is nuts! I am starting this blog a few hours before I have to turn off the computer and pack it up. The packers started today so about 2/3 of my possessions lie around me in their cardboard cocoons. It's a little eerie walking through what used to be familiar terrain, sort of like when you wake up from a long nap and know you are home but not really sure where you are. They finish the chore tomorrow and load the truck on Saturday. Watching a truck drive away with all of your earthly possession can be a little unnerving too.
Next week should get really interesting! I take Brad to the airport on Monday so he can fly to DC for a meeting. Then Tuesday morning all three dogs and I pile into my truck and head east to our new destination. Two days on the road with three dogs and two different hotel stays is enough to make you HAVE to keep reading! Then we pick Brad up at the Wichita airport on Thursday morning at 11 and sign the papers for the house at 1. And because you can never be too sure about on time arrivals, we had to the Power of Attorney thing in case he doesn't make it!
Oh yeah, and did I mention three dogs?! As if life wasn't crazy enough, I drove to Des Moines and picked up our newest pack member. George! He was a rescue who stole my heart on the internet (that sounds like a lead in to a really bad romance novel, doesn't it?! My nephew and his wife were fostering him and he was having a hard time finding a home so I finally caved in and had to have him. Turns out it just might have been one the more worthwhile trips I have taken in a long time. He is half black Lab, half Bloodhound. Which makes him adorable and just a little bit stubborn! Only 18 months old or so though, he is getting better in leaps and bounds. But at almost 90 pounds, stubborn can have a whole new meaning!
Welcome to my life. I guess once again I am opening myself up to the verbal x-ray that is a blog (or at least that seems to be how I do it!). This is a big move but it feels like the right one for us. Already I have gotten notes from old friends about get-togethers and birthday parties and catching up on the last 25 years!
I hope you enjoy reading. I am sure the next couple of weeks are bound to be entertaining!!!
Connie
I'm ready for the ride and party after you get here!
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