Changes on the horizon

Last week, the Coast Guard sent us orders for my husband's next post.

Two weeks prior we were sent a list of 11 places and asked to put them in order of desirability.

Four were in Florida, one on Charleston North Carolina, two in Michigan, another in Ohio,  one in the middle of nowhere Maine, one in Texas and one in Kodiak Alaska.

I was overwhelmed. How do you go about researching into 11 different places?

Simple, you don't. You just make a list and turn it in and let the cards fall where they may.

There were places we really wanted, and there were places we definitely never want to go, but in the end it is out of our hands, so hoping too hard in either direction would just be a waste of energy.

When the day came, Matt left to get his orders. As I waited for him to come home with the news, I was thinking of all the places we didn't want to go, and how they have positive aspects too.

No matter where it was, I was going to be supportive and positive. (I like to think I am an optimistic pessimist. I expect the worst, but try to see the brighter side of the less desirable things.)

Since I was so completely focused on the worst, I was at a loss for a reaction when he said, "We are going to South Padre Island, Texas."

A = South Padre Island, Texas. Google Maps image. 

I had no expression on my face and couldn't find any words. He was momentarily concerned. It took me a long time to finally react, because I kept waiting for some shoe to drop, or to wake up from a dream.

We were hoping for Florida, because I have never been, it is warm, and the job he would be doing would was exciting. We feared the Great Lakes because I dislike cold weather. But Texas, 5 hours from our home town, being able to see family on the weekends, I never dreamed we would be so lucky.

Not only that, but Matt's job will be busy and he will learn a lot. And SPI — which is how people on craigslist refer to the Island — is one of the birdiest (that's totally a word, spellcheck) places in the continental U.S.

To add to the awesomeness of the place, I discovered there is a University of Texas down there with a great biology program. Hello Bachelor's degree. (I have put off finishing my bachelors for years.)

I have never been a religious person, but was brought up Catholic, and the concept of Guardian Angels has always comforted me. My mom said she prayed to her grandmother — our family's guardian angel — and asked that we be stationed somewhere that will give us the best opportunities.

I can't say with any certainty whether I am a believer or not, but it fills my heart with joy to think about. One thing is certain — I am extremely excited about our next adventure.

We will move on Jan. 1, the same day Matt moved to the Mendocino Coast. I can't help but notice how that seems serendipitous. The day of beginnings and endings is a perfect day for a move.  Stay tuned for pictures from Texas in 2014.