We're in week two of finals for Adam.
Send help.
Just kidding. He's doing really well in all of his classes. You could just say the stress is HIGH in the Paulson household. That's us (above) hunkered down in the guest room/Adam's office. He's studying, Rye's sleeping and I'm just being me. At least we're together!
But other than that, we are still adjusting well to our new home and life here in Jacksonville. Here are a few things I've learned along the way...
- Getting to the beach any time (and even once a week) may take effort, but it's worth it. I've only missed one week where my toes did not hit the sand, but that was because my flight back from Dallas was canceled. There've been weeks when we've been more than once, so I'm still averaging a little more than once per week, which is a total win in my book.
- My directionally challenged brain is getting its bearings. I think. I still have trouble once or twice a week, but I'm definitely counting the other five days getting to my regular haunts without a GPS as a victory.
- Man, I really, really love shopping at the Publix grocery store. Their tag line "where shopping is a pleasure" is completely true. They're so helpful, the store is well-lit, well-stocked and clean. Meat and Milk are really expensive here, but we can't do much about that.
- When your inlaws send a surprise card in the mail and it's a Publix gift card, you will both shout happily. We were instructed to buy some really good deli meat (a total splurge at the moment) and something fun for each of us. Adam chose beer and I chose flowers. And we had plenty left over for other necessities, which means an extra date night out and another night of no cooking or cleaning. Yahoo! And when your mom treats you to a massage, you say "thank you" about 10 times and make yourself an appointment! (That was me today. It was such a treat!)
- I didn't realize how much Adam looked forward to Friday night date nights. We had to move it to Saturday night a couple weeks ago, and it was kind of a bummer for both of us not to go out at the end of the week. So we will be keeping Friday night date nights as much as possible around here!
- It's worth putting yourself out there. While I've had a few instances of people not reciprocating, for the most part, when I ask someone to lunch or coffee, they say yes. It's been a really fun way to meet new friends. I suppose it can be a little scary at first, but I've done it enough times that it's just fun!
- We're still really enjoying our church, and getting more involved. I've gotten to sing again and also help with Adventure Camp (our version of VBS). I'm grateful for a job that's flexible enough that I could take an hour off each morning to work with the kids. Plus, I made more friends. #LoveIt.
- Group texts are my lifeline some days. Yes, we're getting settled and making friends. I am always open to adding more to the mix, but there's nothing like the friends who've known you through high school, college, and thick and thin. These group texts keep me laughing, and they help me feel like I'm really not that far away--most days.
- Life goes on, whether we're there or not. I've gotten several calls from dear friends telling me that they're expecting babies. I've missed two weddings so far, a full-band show for my brother, and so many other things that I don't know about. It's hard some days. It's humbling (life happens without us). But it is just part of this season, so I will rejoice for these sweet people and visit as much as possible.
- We really do like Jacksonville. We looked at a few other places, including Knoxville, Tennessee, and to have the opportunity to live near the beach is a dream I didn't even know I had. It's definitely hot here, but it cools down at night and there's a breeze. I wish there were more trees to park under and provide shade (like Texas!), but over all, it's a welcoming, friendly, fun place to be. I'm so grateful.
More? Here's a 60 Day Report and how we got here in the first place.
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