Everything’s different

A dear friend of mine was shipped off to Japan this week for a three-ish year stay with her husband, who is stationed there with the Army.  She had a one-week notice to book the flight, get all things in order, and throw her own going away party.  (Had I still lived locally, I would have thrown the party fo sho!)  Originally, she had two months to plan the same move; she’d even joined a fitness routine.  She had plans to visit me, too.  All plans were thwarted when she got the news that her hubby was forgoing Ranger school to move on with his career.

I almost fell apart at the news.

Technically, I probably did fall apart.  In the hot shower.  For many many minutes.  I was angry.  I was prepared for her to leave in October.  That date worked for me; we had September to get together before she left.  All was good.

At any rate, my darling and supportive husband suggested I take a half day off of helping him with ministry stuff on Saturday so I could attend her party (and, on the way, see my pops for his big fiftieth birthday).  At the party, I got to see a few other friends.  Hugs were shared.  (I love hugs.  Don’t you?)  My friends back home are still the dearest, save Mr. Dimples, to my heart.  One friend, Cindy, asked me: “So, how’s life?”

“Everything’s different,” I told her.  “Everything.”

She repeated my sentiment to my nearby matron of honor.  “Everything’s different; did you hear that?”

It’s true.  Here’s a list (along with the rants… sorry to be a downer), just so I can get it off my chest to my safe audience:

1. Radio.  Back home, I had Air1 and KLOVE on my radio.  These radio stations didn’t just play Christian music, they spoke about Christ, what He did for us, and how He is still at work in our lives.  The wimpy station around this big city plays the Christian music but doesn’t fill in the gaps with Bible-based encouragement, reminders, and news.  They are family friendly, which is a good thing, but they lack sorely.  So, I stick with listening to my faves online and wish my speakers would be repaired so I can listen to my CDs.
2. The crib. I had a brand new condo in a safe neighborhood, complete with brand-name, tidy appliances.  My ceilings were vaulted; the rooms were big and the roomy closets just made sense.  Our HOA had a pool.  Now, I’m in a 20-year-old townhouse apartment with gray-ish-nothing carpet, dated and ugly wall paper, a sliding door (unsafe!), and mismatching appliances that are not new (except the low-grade dish washer that was replaced this week).  There have been a string of break-ins in the area and I miss my garage.  There is no pool and it is HOT.
3. Job.  I have a new job.  I’m grateful to God for provisions.  For sure (if you follow, you know).  The teens I teach are terrible.  They laugh at me.  I mean, I’m used to being laughed at for telling terrible jokes (I like puns!).  I cannot stand the disrespectful laughing defense mechanism they, as low-income students, use.  As a recent facebook status said, I am not sure I can “can muster, find, or invent a passion for teaching the perpetually and unrepentantly disrespectful.”  While I love the other teachers with whom I work, the students are frustrating me endlessly.  I miss my middle class kids deeply, truly.  PS: There’s no air conditioning at this school. The outside temperature was over 90 every day this week so far!
4. Roads.  Construction is almost over but, in the mean time, I’m frustrated by local drivers who drive selfishly in the orange barrel lanes.  Quit it!  I almost always arrive home irritated by other drivers who cut me off in my car that has crappy radio.  I don’t know how many times I’ve been cut off by a car who puts their turn signal on after they are halfway in my lane.  Who the? What the?!  Eek!
5. Church.  I’m no longer in a traditional church.  My husband is that pastor who is temporarily serving between two locations.  One church is for people my age, but is where Mr. Hottieface will serve less often; the other church is college-aged and we will be there about nine months out of the year.  I’m adjusting to not having that immediate mentorship with which I’ve been accustomed and, as posted previously, waiting for the school year to start for the college so that I can settle in.
6. Music.  What the heck?  I love music and there is almost no good music in my life.  The church’s band is lacking in experience and, again, there’s terrible Christian radio around here.  I don’t even have music buddies here who will talk music with me.  I don’t have music playing regularly because it interrupts work time and, more importantly, I don’t have a anything with speakers besides a TV and a computer.  My next house will have speakers built-in!
7. Sleep.  Who knew it would take so much work to sleep when you’re a married woman?  I didn’t.  Mr. Dimples will certainly let me sleep if I announce a nap, but if I lay down to nap, I’m often too cute for Loverboy to leave me alone.  It’s cute.  Very cute.  And we end up getting to bed late for various reasons: late dinner, movie is longer than usual, etc.  I’m working in a sauna; I need to start going to bed earlier.  We try, for sure.  But we also enjoy, um, being newlyweds in every sense of the word. 0:)
8. Food.  I eat more regularly.  Mostly, this is a good thing.  However, I’m hoping this doesn’t cause weight gain that makes me unhappy.  I wouldn’t be gaining anything if it weren’t for baby-preventing medications.
9. Local TV.  I don’t know anything about the local television stations.  I’ll learn over time, of course, but in the mean time, I can’t find any local TV that I like.  We usually hulu stuff on playon, which works and may even be a preferable change.
10. Facebook friends.  I’m a facebook fiend.  All of my entourage back home checked in regularly and knew what was going on with my life.  People here rarely know the goings-on in my life because they don’t check facebook regularly.  This is a change in my life because my friends back home are still interacting on facebook and moving on with their lives (as well they should) but the people here don’t often interact with me.

I mean, there are more ways that my life has changed.  But these are some of the ways that are bugging me right now.  I’m not 100% miserable by any means.  (Who would be with the most amazing super husband who I’ve got!?)  But this adjustment period is kicking my butt and I am impatient with myself and stubborn at times.  I am anxious for a trip to my homelands this weekend, even though almost nothing will be the same there, either (but I will thoroughly enjoy good radio as much as possible!).