I didn't realize how "country" I sounded until people here started asking me to "talk". What??? I sound funny? No, I sound just like you do. Well, no I really don't. This was one of the first things I learned here in Corpus. That one was easy and painless. Along with learning about my accent I also learned a few more things during my two short years here.
The first lesson that I learned was that no matter how much you put yourself out there you will not feel settled and a part for about 6 months. I met a girl named Bridgette about a month after moving here and she helped me understand that very important lesson. However, I couldn't see it at the time. I was told by many people that it was totally up to me and if I was going to make friends then I would have to "come out of my shell and get out of my comfort zone." Well that I did. For those of you who have known me for some time you know that I do not like to make small talk and I am very uncomfortable in new situations especially when I don't know ANYONE. OK, I was not myself. Yes, I got out of my comfort zone but who in the world was I? Not Allison. I was so eager it was embarrassing. Everyone that I met got a hand shoved in their face, "Hi, I'm Allison." It was a bit pathetic. I went to NNL meetings with Bridgette and was determined not to look like her shadow so I would make my way around the room introducing myself to everyone and pretending to be interested in them and somehow make conversation. I had nothing in common with these women and knew that I would not form lasting friendships with them. It was horrible. So not comfortable. But I did it. Because that's what everyone told me I had to do. Bridgette and I did not stay in touch but she helped me through a very tough time and helped me realize that I was OK and it just takes time.
Another person who really helped me was Ms. Bea, the librarian at Ella Barnes. She allowed me to volunteer in her library and while I was there she introduced me to so many people and really pushed me to get involved in different activities. She was definitely a big support and a great friend to me.
Another major leason learned was how important it is to be involved and be "a part" of a good bible based church. We spent a lot of time floating from one church to the next trying to find the perfect fit. Each time I thought we were there we would go looking for something else. We were looking for perfection and we were not going to find it. Hopefully, we won't make that mistake again.
I learned to enjoy year-round flip-flops and intense heat. I learned to enjoy the smell of salt and fish in the morning and just be thankful that we live so close to the water. I've come to appreciate rust on the doors and light fixtures outside and now I'm not critical about how worn the roofs look and how fast the homes weather. Basically, I've learned not to judge a book by it's cover. Because that's what I did when we first came here. I was not impressed and not happy about much of anything. But now I have seen Corpus Christi for what it is and what it can be and I have loved it. I never dreamed that we would have all of the opportunities that we have had in this town. There are endless free activities for our family to enjoy. We will miss the Hooks and especially the IceRays. I'll never forget the first time I saw them throw real stingrays on the ice after they scored. I will miss the Texas State Aquarium. I can't count how many times we went there but every time we would notice something new. I never went on the Lexington but that's OK. I got to see it from the harbor bridge tons of times. I think that's enough for me. I will miss eating at Laguna Reef , a hole in the wall resturant on Laguna Madre. I am sad that I won't be able to run The Beach to Bay relay marathon again. But, I will always be proud when I say I ran the third leg over the Island bridge. I will never forget the first time I ran on Ocean drive and was completely beat-up and choked by an insane amount of sand. And yes, I will miss the wind terribly. When people complain about the excessive wind they have never experienced real intense heat with 100% humidity and no wind. Welcome to Tyler, Tx. Not pleasant. I have a feeling that that is what I will experience in Georgia and that does not appeal to me at all now that I have discoved something so much better. Wind!!! I will miss being able to see the bay from Ava's bedroom window when I stand on my tip-toes and lean really far to the right. I will definitely miss our walks and jogs in the evening. Running straight into a 20-40mile per hour gust of wind. The water is beautiful and worth every second of it. I will miss taking the long way home after dropping Ava off at school just so I can look at and appreciate the stillness of the water. I will miss Ella Barnes Elementary and all of my friends that I have grown to love and appreciate.
Of course, I will miss our beautiful beaches. For those of you who don't think they are beautiful you just haven't been at the right times. I will miss finding tons of sandollars in the water after a hurricane or tropical storm. It was really hard for me to search for them at first. Digging my toes into the sand with water up to my waist is not very high on my to do list. It's a thrill though when you start finding them and then you don't want to stop searching. We brought about 25 live sandollars home on Labor Day weekend. I will miss watching Jason take Adiah, Ava, Cole and Sadie out in the blow-up boat and playing out there for hours. I will miss being able to watch the release of the sea turtles as they make their way to the water for the first time. And knowing that only one will live a full life. I am sad that I never slept out on the beach with a fire. I was really looking forward to doing that this fall. I will miss seeing the massive amounts of stars that you can see out on the Island at night. It's really unbelievable.
I will miss feeling like I'm on vacation when I walk outside every day. I love to look at the field of grass and mesquite trees across from the entrance to our neighborhood. I will miss the endless amounts of 5K, half marathons and triathalons. No, I never participated in a triathalon and I never will (I hate to swim) but I loved knowing I could if I wanted to.
Above all else I will miss the Bright family. They have been our support and basically have become part of our family. I have loved watching all of the kids play and fight and grow. Well, I didn't enjoy the fighting but I guess that's just what happens when five kids are together every day. We trained for and ran the 3M half marathon in Austin, went to the Air show, played on Bird Island and the kids spent a lot of time playing "City". I still don't know exactly what "City" is but they sure did make a mess with it. Tents were all of my house. Cans of food on the stairs for a grocery store. Whatever it is, they had a blast. We spent endless days watching the kids in the pool laughing and talking. And of course plenty of time at the beach. Amber introduced me to political events and I have actually started to enjoy learning about it. We met Rick Perry, Medina (she's crazy), attended a debate (honestly, I don't remember what they were running for but I enjoyed it). We attended the Tea Party in San Antonio and saw Glenn Beck speak, a Tea Party in Corpus and the 911 memorial service. I never would have attended any of these events if I had not met Amber. So thanks Amber for opening my eyes to something new.
I hate that I won't be able to see Kayden on her first day of kindergarten and hear about how well she behaved until someone took something from her on the playground and she socked them. I will miss how she snuggles up in my lap but ONLY when she feels like it. I hate that I will miss Amber's graduation in December and Ava won't be able to ride home with her everyday and have her as teacher like we talked about so many times.
When I moved to Corpus Christi I didn't think that I would ever find a friend. And now I have tons that I love and one that I'm going to have a very hard time leaving. It's so amazing how God puts people in your life when you least expect it and takes care of you when you think you are at your worst. He carried me through our adventure in Corpus and I know that he will carry me through our adventure in Georgia.
