From Texas to Seattle

You may ask, what landed you in Seattle? Most people will assume college, and for the longest time I wished it was the reason but the truth is I moved for a boy that I knew I would never end up with but I loved him and was craving something new. The farthest I had ever moved was Austin, just 2.5 hours away from Houston. 

I have a mom that is so attached to me and vice versa, I was the opposite of independent so the thought of me moving was such a joke. To this day we both don’t understand how she let me go. One of the many things I appreciate about my mom is she always expressed how she just wanted me to be happy, and when I left I knew the door was always open if I wanted to come back. I can still remember like it was yesterday, I packed up my little Honda and hugged my mom as tight as possible with so many tears. I cried the entire way to pick up my boyfriend and prayed I was making the right decision. 

I ended up in Mill Creek, WA- anyone not familiar with Washington, Mill Creek is probably the most unappealing place for a 21 year old. I lived in the town center, which google made look super appealing. To break it down, my options were to eat out, get my nails done or work out, anywhere to go out was like an hour away, I might be exaggerating but feels like it takes forever. I went from the girl to having so many friends and too many plans to the girl sitting at the local library to use the Wi-Fi and watching red box at night (I can’t really remember why I couldn’t set up my Comcast right away) As I started to search for jobs and friends I learned about the “Seattle freeze” oh my gosh, IT’S REAL! Ask anyone living in Seattle that’s not from Seattle. I will never forget walking into a tanning salon to try to find a job (I was looking for a job where I would meet potential girlfriends) these two girls rudely told me they weren’t hiring, I asked for directions to another location and was so put off with how annoyed they seemed, I quickly apologized and let them know I just moved from Texas, before I said anything else this guy quickly interrupted and said he was from Katy. He sat me down asked where I was living and told me he would call the manager at the location near my house to set up an interview. Y’ALL that is the definition of Texas hospitality! People do stuff like that for each other ALL the time! I was so thankful! It felt like home. 

After being here for so long, I like to put myself in check if I recognize I’m being cold for whatever reason and bring myself back to the young girl desperate for some southern hospitality. 

My relationship ended after a year, my heart was broken but it was expected. I will forever be grateful to that guy, we truly grew and learned so much. I often think about how different my life may be have been had I not followed him. If that guy ever reads this, I hope you know how thankful I am for you, I was forced to be independent, be strong, and learn so much about myself. Coming here led me to some of the best of friends (not the Seattle freeze people) and most importantly my husband. Thank you. 

This move taught me that some of the scariest risks are worth taking, and no matter how many times you fall just keep getting back up. It also taught me “you can take the girl out of Texas, but you can’t take Texas out the girl” my love for teasing my hair never went away, I believe “all y’all” is totally normal, breakfast tacos is really the only way to go in the mornings and always smile and greet strangers. 

If you have the chance, take it and know your home is always your home. Your true friends will always be there.