From IAH to SAT

I have no idea why the Houston Airport is coded IAH.

I’ve had a few questions about my transition to San Antonio from Houston. I.LOVE.IT. I was nervous about leaving the 4th largest city in the U.S. and moving to the 7th largest U.S. city. So dramatic, I know but I love me some big city and action! Also, I was nervous about making a major life change, alone.



On the morning of June 27 when I left my old, vintage, beautiful apartment for the last time, I cried. That morning my friends, Lindsay and John, stopped by to say goodbye and bring breakfast. After the moving truck was loaded, I did final walk through the apartment. Jarrett (the brother), Lindsay, John, and the movers were outside. As I walked through the empty rooms, I was emotional. I thought about all the events that had happened in my life while I had lived there. Unfortunately, the majority of the big events that came to mind were negative. From a broken relationship that was extremely difficult to disappearing friendships, there were some hard times in that apartment. I remembered the night I learned that Yu Mei, the little girl that I fell in love with in China, was adopted and thought I was coming to get her. When Yu Mei realized it wasn’t me, she sobbed. I remembered the time I learned something very bad about a person I loved and cared for. That afternoon I sat on the edge of my bathtub and cried for an hour. There were some happy times but the events that stood out most in mind were negative. I didn’t realize how much of an impact the events had on me, until I walked through the empty rooms.

At 8:00 PM, after the un-loaders left my new home in SA (what a long day), Jarrett and I sat in the living room around the world’s biggest mess. Okay, not the biggest mess in the world but my biggest mess. I cannot function in a mess. Moving boxes were everywhere and my body hurt. I had never felt so emotionally and physically exhausted. As I was debating if I should take a shower or just go to bed I thought, “I’m not going back to Houston. This is my new home.” A huge sense of relief and peace came over me. My feelings that night were definitely a surprise to me. For the record, I took a shower. My brother told me I HAD to take a shower; guess I smelled bad. :)

Yu Mei and Me~ China October 2006

After living in SA for a couple of weeks I had my first out of town business trip. It was about 4 hours from SA, so I drove. On the way home I drove through Austin, TX. I passed the sign for the road to Houston, the road I had taken so many times. Again, I was so relieved I wasn’t going to Houston and I was headed to SA.

I knew I would like SA but I didn’t know I would love it. I think the people are friendlier. I LOVE my church… I don’t feel like an outcast because I’m single; I don’t want to miss a service. Two weeks ago our guest song leader was Michael W. Smith. Love it! There are so many great places in SA. As a tourist or visitor I saw the same things, there is so much more to SA. Each weekend there are so many events and activities, I cannot possibly do it all. Since I've moved, I was contacted by the SA airport to do some visual work (my side job).

My BFF, Tiffany, said the peace and relief that I’ve felt since moving and the additional work I’ve obtained is God confirming my decision. When I told people in Houston that I was moving a few said, “Oh this is good for you.” “You’ll love it.” Here’s a good one, “You should live by your parents.” Ha Ha… I’m the most independent girl I’ve ever met. My all time favorite is, “Jill, YOU need a change.” Oh really… what’s the biggest change you’ve ever made in your life by yourself? Going from panties to a thong? Sorry, I try not to get catty on my blog. Seriously, we (including me) must remember not give opinions or advice unless it’s something you’ve actually done yourself. It’s easy to give advice about change when you’ve never had to make big changes alone (I don't mean graduating from college and picking a place to live) or everything you hoped and prayed for eventually happened.

Anyway, much to my surprise and the people closest to me, I really love San Antonio.