howdy Pennsylvania!

In less than one month, we will no longer be residents of the state of Texas.  It's odd to write this, as I haven't even said it out loud more than five times since we found out late last week.  It won't be our first move, not by a long shot, but hopefully it'll be our last move for at least a long time.

All of our moves have been spurred on by the hub's new jobs.  Luckily, the new jobs have always been better, higher up in position and salary, than the previous one.  And this time it's the same.  The hub's new job is a great fit for him, but it also takes us from Texas to.........Pennsylvania.

Where's Pennsylvania?  Can I come too?

I'm not going to lie - I want to leave Texas.  No offense to anyone who lives here or loves it here, but I just can't do it anymore.  Here's my list of grievances, all for the sake of keeping it real:

1.  The number one issue we have with Texas is the overwhelming heat.  It is summer here from February to November, and we can't even spend five minutes outside during July and August.  

2.  The traffic.  We live between Fort Worth and Dallas, and anywhere we ever go (grocery store, daycare, hub's work) is a fight.  There is traffic all the time, and if it rains the hub's commute goes from over an hour to over two hours.  Each way.

3.  Related to #2 - the housing.  While housing prices here are ridiculously low, and you get a lot for your money, we can't live any closer to the hub's office than we do now.  Because to be within 20 miles of his office, we'd either be priced out (think starting prices of $700,000) or in the ghetto.  No.

4.  The drivers - related to #2 as well.  When I went to a CLE two weeks ago, I had to drive to Dallas for two days.  On the drive home, I had to merge into the right lane for my exit.  As I always do, I put on my blinker and waited for the person next to me to let me over.  Instead, he sped up and drove next to me so I couldn't get over.  In general, the drivers in Texas drive me (bad pun intended) up a wall.  And don't get me started on the amount of people I see driving with a cell phone either stuck to their head or texting.  

I won't miss those things, not at all.  But like every place I've lived, there are bad and good aspects.  And I'll definitely miss some things about Texas.  "Mommy" horse for one.  I stopped last week and fed her (it's actually a "him") Britton's discarded apple, and boy did that put a smile on her face!  I see this horse at least twice a day, and I will miss Mommy horse, I really will.

I will also miss wearing cowboy boots without people thinking I'm trying to imitate Taylor Swift's fashion sense.  Everyone here wears boots and cowboy hats, even to weddings and with tuxes!  I won't stop wearing my cowboy boots, but if they ever wear out, I know that they will be impossible to replace in Pennsylvania.

And I know that I really want seasons and snow and all that, but come December, I will miss the mid-50s temps and no-snow-covered roads!  I think the hubs has forgotten how much he detests shoveling snow.

We've already started staging the house, pulling all personal items and photos and cleaning like mad!  I've tried to get before and after pictures, but I keeping forgetting about the "before."  We did the yard today, and on to the living room tomorrow.