Austin Adventures: Chapter One

 Well, the past 5 days have certainly been an adventure for the Powers/McKenna clan, and appropriately, it has been a tremendous one as “everything is bigger in Texas”... apparently even problems.
We drove our first 11 hours on Monday and made it to Nashville by 9:30pm, where we settled in to the Best Western Music Row for the night (note the suede guitar on the pillow and the gold satin sheets). In the morning we continued our journey to Austin, Texas, passing through Memphis, Little Rock and Dallas on our way.

We set up camp at the La Quinta in Cedar Park, Texas on Tuesday night, finding comfort knowing that we would be settling into our new home on Thursday (even if our furniture wouldn’t be delivered until Sunday). As they say…”Even the best laid plans of mice and men often go astray.” No exception in our case.

 As some of you may know, the owners of the home we were purchasing were “pills,” to say the least. Seems their new home in sunny Florida didn’t change their dispositions.

Because of delays, we were unable to close on Thursday, and our agent was working on setting up a lease for us to be in the house even for a week until the home formally closed. Well, no dice. The owners, who had originally agreed to the lease, changed their minds and headed back to Florida without a cell phone.
Long story short (and $2000 of earnest money later) we have walked away from the home and are starting over.
There is truth in the saying that “everything happens for a reason” because we have realized that Leander was not the right place for us. We are now searching closer to Austin, and Chris’s work. We will be getting much less for the money, but don’t fret fam jam, you will all have a place to stay when you come…our number 1 criteria is plenty of bedrooms.

On a happier note, Austin is treating us well, although we brought the cold with us on Tuesday. There was even an older lady in Target ‘stocking up’ for the ‘big freeze'!.

Chris has been working away and I am starting volunteer work on Monday evening. I will be working at Manos de Cristo with low income, mostly immigrant adults, for 3 hours every Monday night until December, teaching them computer skills. Finding the place was an adventure in itself as I walked into a building with a no firearms and weapons sign on the door next to a tattooed girl. My feeling that I was in the wrong place was confirmed when a man asked me if I was here on probation…good thing I had my guard dog Gracie with me!

The actual facility is very nice (not like the probation office!) and the people are very friendly. *Bonus: I can even listen in on the Citizen classes and get a few pointers!

I have bought a Kindle (courtesy of my Birthday) and am attending my first book club on November 5. I am working on my listening skills so EVERYONE has a chance to speak too.
We miss home desperately, but we are starting to adapt. It will be easier once we have a home to call our own…for now we call Extended Stay America ‘home.’
Love and miss you all.
 
Meg, Gracie, Sadie…and oh ya, Chris too!
xoxoxo