I've been slacking on the journal, and I'm frustrated about that...
When I sat down this morning, and was wanting to write an entry, I find myself thinking about way too many things I'd like to write about... Things that have happened since the last time I wrote, stories that have been on my mind. So, bear with me a bit, while I try to sort out my thoughts and get something out...
. . . . .
Thankfully, we're just past the midpoint of the summer here in Hotlanta. And midpoint because, it will most likely be pretty damned hot up until the beginning of October, or so. I'm glad we're halfway done.
When we first moved to Atlanta, it was the beginning of October 1997. And as I packed up our belongings in the reasonably comfortable first days of fall in Pennsylvania, I had no clue what a shock we were in for when we first arrived in Atlanta.
It was scorchingly hot, and not like fall in the slightest.
The drive was unbelievably long, and fairly boring along the interstate highways between Pennsylvania and Georgia. Lots of other vehicles, and trees, mostly. But, the changes in the trees were amazing... The further we drove south, it was like winding back the clock, and blurring out the colour a bit. We went from mid-fall to late summer in just over eight hundred miles. Tree-wise, and temperature-wise.
It struck me not only with its beauty and simplicity, but with its symbolic meaning, in our moving to Georgia in the first place. From our old life together, to our new life together.
We had arrived into a whole new world in so many different ways...
. . . . . . .
I was transferring with Wal*Mart at the time, but Wallace had to up and leave his 'comfortable' and higher paying job for us to come here. We only had residual wedding gift money to live on, until I began work here and Wallace had to find a job.
To make matters even more difficult, I wanted and needed to change jobs, and only actually made it to work at Wal*Mart here for a couple of days. When I came home after those first few days, I vowed that I wouldn't have to go back again. I hated it.
And luckily, I didn't.
Wallace found a job after only a couple of days, and I found one only about a week to two weeks after... Which was great, except Wallace worked evenings, and I worked days... I worked far from home and had to brave traffic everyday, and Wallace worked close to home... Our car broke down severely, when we had minimal extra cash at the time anyway. I had possibly thought for a moment or two, that we had moved to hell instead of to our dream city.
But, somehow, we made it through. And are here, where we are today. And I love being here, I love where we live and the things around us. I'm very glad to be here. Even if I wasn't quite sure of anything in the beginning.
And even though it is far from our families, and not as familiar... It's been good to us, when we really needed it most. The only other place I'd consider living, is in a house on the beach somewhere, on the southern East coast. But, until someone decides to give us one, I think we'll stick around here.
. . . . .
We came here with a minimal amount of money, a truck full of furniture and stuff and so many dreams... And although I'd consider the past two years of our life together, some of the toughest we've had along the way, they have also been our very best. Some things happened right away for us when we got here, other things took longer to happen, and we're still waiting for the rest to see the light of day, but... we are working on a lot of them. We aren't just sitting idly by and waiting for them to come to us.
And I think that will make a lot of difference.
But, Wallace sat down with me late last night, before we were going to bed, and told me how happy he was and hopeful for our future. How glad he is to have Ms. Savannah in our lives, and how he appreciates what I do for us. It was nice to hear that, especially after feeling so worthless for a while after Savannah was born. And, while I may not be doing what I may have imagined myself doing only a few short years ago... the warmth that Wallace wrapped me in when he said that, the warmth I feel when I snuggle closely with Savannah, and the bright hot sunshine on my face everyday when I walk outside are definitely good enough for me. And I can keep hoping that we can continue to have great years like this one.