First Days in Arkansas

Day One

Sweat beaded up on my forehead making my hair damp and curly. The heat of Texas was already sweltering on June 9, 2008 reminding me that I’ve always hated Texas summers and I wouldn’t be here for another one. I thought I’d cry more leaving my mother standing in front of my house, but the knowledge that a new adventure lay ahead made it a little easier to drive away. Jeff and I had the chance to renew our relationship with a fresh adventure: Arkansas.

Texas turned into Oklahoma with little transition other than the shocking red sand that makes the lakes look more like strong tea than water. Ginger entertained herself by chasing sunlight spots around the dash board and sticking her nose out the window. It was the middle of Eastern Oklahoma when the wind shifted bringing in a cooling breeze. The fields opened up with sprinklings of yellow flowers and rows of newly forming corn. The air smelled sweet and clean and the long rays of the end of the day cast a brightness on the ground that made everything seem clearer, more vibrant, more surreal. This was the change I was looking for… a little peace.

We hit the Arkansas Ozarks at dusk – both beautiful and terrifying as we cruised over tall bridges and hills in the blue haze of evening. I was anxious to get to our new “home”…well, as home as a condo could be for now and was excited when I pulled into the driveway. Then I opened the door. Towers, and I mean TOWERS of boxes lined every wall and the apartment smelled like a cardboard factory. So this is what 216 boxes looks like. I was so overwhelmed I just sat in a chair and looking at a magazine and trying to figure out just how quickly we could get into a house of our own. It would have to be soon. This was not the peace I was hoping for. This was more like purgatory... the place in between… the weigh station… the spot we had to sit in waiting for the doors to our new life to open wide. Hmmm… I wonder where they packed the key.

Day Two

Not only did the movers not unpack the right kitchen boxes, they probably unpacked the boxes that I would never have unpacked! I went into the kitchen today to make lunch to find they had filled the drawers with junk instead of with the forks, knives, and spoons as I requested and all my nice plates and bowls were still in a three foot tall box for me to unwrap. Ugh. This is getting to be really annoying. I even lost my soup bowl for about 10 minutes among all the clutter on the counter! Maybe tomorrow I’ll feel like sorting things out, but not today. Today it was just overwhelming again so I went driving to check out a few areas I had hoped would have homes we would like. Funny thing about Arkansas: imagine driving along winding two-lane roads with rolling hills and tall trees on each side. You turn into a neighborhood with street names like Hilltop and Sunset where you can experience panoramic views of the lake that take your breath away. Just beyond the trees are homes and with high expectations you see one, two, three mobile homes, the plumber’s crack of a man walking into the door of his shack with two broken down donkeys on the side, and the modest home that you saw on Realtor.com. Oh, and about 2 acres up the road is a half a million dollar home with a Hummer in the driveway and tall security gates. Well, so much for the neighborhood welcoming committee. At that point, I decided it was time for the comfort of Andy’s Custard Choco-Rocko and the lovely view of the golf course pond from my couch at the condo. Hopefully, tomorrow’s neighborhood seeking will bring more luck.

Jeff and I came to an agreement tonight that we wanted to make some changes in our life that buying a larger, more expensive home wouldn’t help us do. Sure, we can afford a house on the lake, but do we want to be slaves to a house payment and then never home to enjoy it? We’d like a little slower pace of life and time to enjoy it. If we buy a little away from the lake, but close enough to get there, we may actually be able to afford for me to stay home and start our family. At age 40, that dream is getting a little more time-sensitive, so if we are going to make this type of life change, the time is now.


Day Three

Morning on a golf course is really peaceful. The birds sing at least four different tunes and the mist of morning hangs heavy making the green lawn look lush and bright. The lawn maintenance man adds to the Zen of the morning by raking the sand pit nearby with a swishing sound. I’ve opened the window near by bed and sit here typing smelling the cool, crisp morning air and feel calmer and more relaxed about this move. If every morning can start like this then I’d be very happy. Hmmm. I think it is time for my morning nap.