Unexpected

When we left Abilene 5 years ago, I was sad to leave our friends and our wonderful church, but I wasn't sad to leave the town. It was small, ugly, and boring. We were on to bigger and better things. Fast forward a few years, and Abilene seemed like heaven on earth. Amazing how your perspective can change. Until about 3 months ago, we didn't think moving back to Abilene was an option for us in the near term. Then, suddenly, it was the most likely option and then (quickly, but it felt like forever), it was a reality. I never thought I'd be giddy with excitement over returning to West Texas, but there I was literally jumping up and down when Darby called to tell me he got the job. We're thrilled to be going back to the school that we love in a city where we already have so many friends (and my brother!) and only a 3-hour drive from our parents. I know it won't be all rosy (the lack of ESL job opportunities is already a little disheartening), but I hope that when I'm tempted to complain about the lack of good restaurants or the dust or the lack of trees, I hope I remember the extreme excitement that caused me to tell Darby: "I feel like I can never be sad again!" (I have already proven that false, but the sentiment was sweet, I think.)