Bloom (or Boom) Where You're Planted

Here is the next installment, in keeping with my plan to post a blog at least once a week mainly about our Texas adventure. Before we left for Austin, I renewed contact with a former beloved pastor, Jim Akins (www.wintervillefirstbaptist.org) by email. I related to him the Reader's Digest version of our family's plan to move to Texas. In his response, he stated that he always thought we had an adventurous family and that we should do well even with the significant difference that Central Texas is from Northern California. I had never thought of our family as being adventurous but perhaps he's right. I think that part of enjoying any new adventure is to bloom where you're planted.

In the construction business, we always found it difficult moving families all around the country for relatively short-term projects. We tried several strategies but nothing ever worked really well, except for one family. Their strategy was that no matter where they were assigned (I remember Las Vegas, NE Florida, Guam, Louisiana etc.) they quickly found what made that area special and jumped into regional activities with great enthusiasm. They found a great way to make frequent travel work for their young family. In fact, they came to look forward to the next assignment, just to find what great things might await them at the next venue.

One of the things that we have found that makes Austin great is the numerous lush city parks. They have set aside over 16,000 acres for 206 parks, 12 nature preserves and 26 green belts. Less than a mile and a half from our apartment is Walnut Creek Park. It's just under 300 acres with six miles of easy trails. So we headed out twice this week and were surprised at finding this beautiful public space right next door, with a creek swollen from all the recent rains. The riparian area well illustrates the indigenous limestone strata that is ever-present in this area. Texas limestone or sandstone will eventually serve as our new home's exterior. I hope you enjoy the pics at our gallery.

After I left the Army in 1978, my first private sector job was selling computers. I often found that when a prospect bought a competitor's product instead of mine, that no matter how the product actually performed, to hear the prospect tell it, it was the greatest purchase decision they had ever made. Sort of the opposite of buyer's remorse. Let's call it buyer's "morse" just for fun.
We don't want to have buyer's morse about our decision to move to Texas. We will either like it or not. It will either work out well or not. But it will have a lot to do with enthusiastically finding what makes this area special and jumping in, health permitting. And it will have an even greater thing to do with the opportunities the decision brings for our children. So far that area looks pretty good.

But I promise...no buyer's "morse" code from me!