28 Days

I alluded to the fact that Jonathan has received some news about his next position and that it had thrown a curve ball into our lives. While we were expecting his company to relocate us, instead they have offered him a position working 28/28. What this means is that he will be working internationally in Angola (western Africa) for 28 days straight, followed by 28 days completely off work. Meanwhile, Forest and I will be carrying on as normal back in the states, just without seeing our hubby/daddy for a month at a time. 

Certainly there are upsides; 6 months of paid vacation being the most obvious. Also, Jonathan will get an ex-pat pay bump without our family having to live in-country. All in all, minute for minute, this will amount to more quality time together than a traditional 9-5 job would ever allow. For 28 days at a time he will be home (or traveling) with us. 

Of course the prospect of not seeing Forest for a month at a time is a major downside, but if Jonathan had to work this schedule (which most Oil folks do at some point in their career), Forest is at a good age for it. He’s not an itty bitty baby so I feel a bit more sturdy in my motherhood role, but he’s also not in school yet which gives us a lot of flexibility to take advantage of Jon’s time off. 

Of course, there are other huge downsides to this schedule as well. I’ve been fortunate that Jonathan hasn’t traveled much or for very long stretches since Forest has been born. The longest I’ve gone without him was 5 very looooong days. I can’t even imagine what 28 days (and really 30 when you factor in travel days) will feel like. 

Which brings me to the most mind boggling part of this news: Where the heck am I going to live? We could technically go anywhere, but obviously want to be somewhere with lots of community amenities/support, preferably within reasonable driving distance from family, and with an accessible international airport. Early on we narrowed it down to The Houston area or South Louisiana. I would love to stay in California but the cost of living is simply unaffordable and I would also feel very uncomfortable not being able to hop in my car and drive to my family.  

I feel like Houston is heavy on the amenities and airport perks while Louisiana is closer to family support. Still, when we actually looked at the Louisiana option it felt pretty complicated. My parents currently live in a suburb north of New Orleans, but with my dad’s recent retirement they are considering moving elsewhere. They’ve looked into Baton Rouge and Lafayette and also just bought a condo in Florida where they plan to spend about 6 months out of the year. 

It’s all very up in the air for both of us and I feel like it’s hard to get a handle on the situation and unfortunately our lease is up on June 30 so we have to make some decisions quickly. Apart from family, I feel like Houston, specifically The Woodlands area, seems like a better match for our family than Louisiana does. 

 

It’s got 100+ parks and miles of trails. 

 

Within a day of researching I had found a handful of highly rated preschools, countless churches to try, a mother’s bible study, a gym with awesome child care facilities,  a place for Forest to take swim lessons, not to mention a truckload of gorgeous homes in our price range. It seems like our lifestyle here in Northern California would transfer pretty seamlessly to Texas(with added heat and humidity unfortunately!). 

 

One of my biggest drivers pushing me to Texas is the fact that in Jon’s company/business, all roads lead to Houston. It’s the biggest office in his company and it’s pretty inevitable that one day his job will lead us back there. It’s tempting to just go ahead and embrace it now and have at least some sort of chance at establishing roots and a ‘home base’. Also, there is a direct flight from Houston to Angola which for Jonathan is a huge perk! It’s also a good thing for us too since it minimizes travel time and means he’ll be back home to us in as little time as possible. 

So on paper, I think The Woodlands takes the cake. The problem is that it’s hard to have a shot to live near family and turn that down. Last weekend I got my thumb caught in an electric mixer and it was pretty scary. Fortunately Jonathan was there to pull the plug out to stop it from seriously damaging my hand but it still got pretty bruised and caused some temporary nerve damage. Once the shock and fear eased a bit, my first thought was: what if something like that happens when he’s out of the country and it’s just me and Forest? Who would I call? What would I do? And it had me doubting a move to Houston big time. 

But here’s the truth: My parents have very full lives. They spend lots of time in Florida. They spend time visiting their other out-of-state children and grandchildren. They spend a lot of time taking care of their parents. They travel out of the country 2-3 times a year. They have hobbies and to-do lists just like everybody else. And so there is a chance, a very real chance, that I could move to Louisiana mainly for their support, still have a crisis when Jonathan is gone and my parents are off having margaritas in Mexico or something. Obviously that is a worst case scenario type of thing but I’m having to think these things out.   

And of course, Louisiana doesn't just hold my family. It holds a big part of my history. I was born and raised there and even though I moved away immediately upon graduating LSU, I still feel a sense of belonging there. Its an emotional pull for sure.

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But the thing is that I’m a very ‘good on paper’ kind of thinker and I know The Woodlands has a lot to offer in terms of things-to-do and, community support, and affordable childcare options. 

 

And I have to trust that I would establish a support system in The Woodlands just like I have done in Midland….and Houston…and Aberdeen…and San Ramon (Y’all, I am so weary of moving!). I have to trust that God will put someone in my path who will be my in-case-of-emergency-contact. 

In fact, one of my best ‘bail you out in a pinch’ friends from Aberdeen doesn’t live too far from The Woodlands so I wouldn’t be starting from complete scratch. Not to mention countless friends from various stages of my life who live in the greater Houston area. I don’t know. It’s a lot to think about and a lot to process and unfortunately we have been so crazy busy the last few weeks that I feel like I’ve hardly had time to think through it all. 

The plan as it stands is to move forward with a move to The Woodlands. Jonathan has a training at the Houston office in 2 week’s time and I will fly out with Forest on the back end of his business trip to do some house hunting  and preschool touring. I still feel like until we purchase a house I have a right to change my mind, but after weeks of prayer and seeking guidance from any friends/family who would counsel me, I’m feeling pretty at peace with moving back to Texas. I never thought I would say that so that’s how I know it must be God’s peace leading me there.  I’ll keep you updated with any news.