Except, the little family hit a few bumps on the road.
Not only were they away from their friends and family for the first time, but surprisingly not everyone was so excited for them! Not only were they all embarking on a new dream together, but there was a lot of adjusting to do! And okay, one of them had a lot of unnecessary anxiety over silly things (not naming any names) but they were in Oklahoma! What could go wrong?
Answer: A lot of things could go wrong.
Spoiler Alert: I am that girl.
I’ll pause here until the gasps from the crowds die down.
Together, the love of my life and I have survived anxiety attacks(mostly mine), adjusting to a new lifestyle (because of him), and the stomach flu (both of us). I had thought for certain that Oklahoma was going to kill me... and then it got worse. Things at my brand new job were in transition. It is kind of hard to start a job while they are in transition. Then I began to feel useless in my home and my lack of career focus.
At this point, I thought I was not going to make it. I really thought I was done with the (sort of) South.
And then: I found something to look forward to.
I remembered that my church wedding is in May and there is still so much planning to do. I remembered that I get to decorate another home in June or July. I remembered that I was on an adventure with my best friend.
It didn’t hurt that around this miraculous revelation, I found out the town I am currently in has a mall. I also found out where their JoAnns Fabrics was (handmade Christmas presents for everyone!) and I also bought $89 dollars worth of items from Kohls for $4 bucks (two words y’all: Kohl’s Cash.) I went on a tour of the historical homes here on the base and I made some new friends!
No matter how many times this revelation happens, it is always incredible to me. It is constantly surprising that it is the little things that help you get through the tough times. It is a lesson I can learn 100 times over and it will surprise me each time. The dream career won’t wake you up the morning you need it to. But your husband might with the idea of a Starbucks date for breakfast. The next day won’t bring the solution to all your problems, but it might bring you a friend that shows you where the Victoria’s Secret is in your town. The problems of the world won’t be solved immediately, but little steps can be taken to make it okay again for awhile.
Sure, Oklahoma is kicking my ass. Sure, every day isn’t the beautiful fairy tale that I had thought it would be. But little by little, I am trying to kick Oklahoma right back, and that is really all I can do.