Welcome back, Kotter.

Insomnia ensues, so I thought I'd take the opportunity to do a little blogging.

And now that I'm here, apparently writer's block is becoming an issue as well.

Where should I start?  How in the world did I go the entire summer without a post?  Let's go back to June...

So I finished my awesome road trip home by traveling back via Texas.  The first night of my drive I was hoping to make it all the way to San Antonio, but when I hit Houston I felt like I just had to stop because I was exhausted and didn't have the energy to drive another 3 hours.  I wound up staying at a hotel downtown and then hit the road early the next morning. After a little Facebook post about being in H-town, I started talking to a friend that teaches band in the west part of town about being on the job hunt.  Well he put me in touch with one of the job openings in here, and boom baba boom, a week later I had spent $600 on a plane ticket and was back in Houston.  So here I am 14 weeks later, and I've survived my first summer band experience as well as my first week of working as a high school band director. And apparently I've survived my first high school band director nightmare, though I'm not so sure I can call it surviving since it woke me up and I haven't been able to get back to sleep...

Melissa and me after hiking Upper Calf Creek Falls.

Fast forward to July.  After accepting the job in H-town I quickly started making preparations for the move.  FYI, moving 1,500 miles is NOT cheap, or easy.  Not at all.  Fortunately, I am very blessed with supportive parents who helped out a ton.  We decided to go with a freight shipping company because it appeared to be the most cost effective route.  The idea with those companies is if you have a small move, they come and box everything up, put it in a freight, and then put it on a truck that will be heading in the direction of your new place.  They guarantee delivery in 3 weeks, or so they say.  I knew it would take me 3 days to get to Texas, and I had already planned an awesome Southern Utah getaway with my best Utah girl for the 4th of July so I decided to go ahead and spend one of those weeks sans stuff while still in the 801.  They came and picked up my bed, vanity, skis, and 15 boxes on July 2, then I left for some good ole fashioned-sleeping on the ground-fun.  We got back from our camping adventure on July 7 and I spent the next two days visiting some last minute spots and finishing the last of my packing (for everything that was coming with me in the bug).

A stationary Gadzoom.  Been on this lift hundreds of times.

My last Sunday in Utah, I spent hiking Snowbird.  I went up the Gad Valley side, hiked up to Hidden Peak, and then down the Peruvian side.  I spent about 6 hours by myself at Snowbird that day.  It was the best way to say goodbye to Utah.  Snowbird had become my sanctuary, a place where I went when I needed a little rejuvenation.  I spent so many days on that mountain alone, that if I had had to share the day with someone else on the trails it wouldn't have felt right.

I said goodbye to all of my friends on July 9 with a party that started with pizza at the Pie, and ended at my empty Salt Lake City apartment.  I left town July 10, and arrived in Houston on July 12.  Let me tell you it has just been one adventure after another here.  My apartment is gorgeous.  I absolutely love it.  I'm looking forward to being able to fill it with more furniture, but all in good time.  My stuff that was supposed to get here the third week of July?  It didn't get here until the day after my 26th birthday (August 14, folks).  I slept on an air bed for 6 weeks.  Funny how even not teaching drum corps, I can't get away from air beds in the months of July or August.  (Remember last summer? ) The moving company had completely lost my stuff for a hot minute, but they eventually found it.  So at least now I have a bed, my antique dresser, and I was able to buy a couch two weeks ago.  My t.v. stand is a rubbermaid carton, but that's okay for now!

Roll Tide at Cowboys Stadium!

I've met some pretty awesome people here in town, and I'm really enjoying being back in the South.  There's just something about Southern charm and hospitality.  It's so great to be closer to a ton of friends, family, and of course the Crimson Tide.  I was able to go to the season opener in Dallas with my girl, Frances (who lives in Austin).  THAT was a blast.  No way I could have done that if I still lived in Salt Lake.

Life is crazy, and everything can change in an instant.  I feel like that sums up my life.  I'm on this glorious adventure, and I'm just going to keep following my path.  Who knows where it will actually lead in the next year... or 2 or 3.  If 3 years ago you had told me that I'd be moving to Utah, and then winding up in Texas, I would have called you crazy.  The future has amazing things in store, and this new chapter in life is already off to a great start.