In April, Jared was offered a teaching position at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. We were beyond elated, and felt so blessed to have the next step on our path revealed to us. So began the house-hunting and future-planning for our new home in the north.
Jared's final show, Cabaret, was wonderful. I actually ended up going a total of four times. We had a great showing of friends and family, many of which make the trek back to Arkansas two short weeks later for Jared's graduation. I'm so proud of my graduate, but we were both a little sad and amazed at how fast those three years flew by. Over the summer we spent some time in Colorado with my family, Jared spent three weeks in North Carolina at a fight choreography workshop, and I got a visit from my long time best friend Christie, who so happens to be a stellar housewife. (I frequently came home from work to find a meal waiting!) During that time our (school) friends one by one moved back home or on to new adventures, until it was our turn to start our next chapter.
The transition wasn't entirely seamless, including driving a Penske truck loaded with all of our worldly possessions, (including a drugged up cat) a week-long hotel stay, and closing on and moving into our first house sans-wife. (obviously a listing of Jared's adventures) I followed after two weeks of semi-homelessness, (which involved couch-surfing at the apartment of my gracious friend Tearney) saying goodbye to my friends and co-workers at Arvest, and two 7 hour days of car-tripping it with a snuggly pup in my lap. Finally, the Hanlins (of both the human and fur baby variety) were all under the same roof again. This time, though, it is one that we own rather than rent. What a feeling!
I don't think homeownership really hit me until yesterday when I was sitting on our back porch watching Jared mow our yard. Somehow, watching my husband carry out that mundane chore confirmed this next step into being "real" adults, and at the same time shattered my previous views on adulthood. It's funny how we set up milestones, and tell ourselves that achieving the next marker will be what finally makes things different. Markers like getting married. Or getting jobs. Homeownership. Or children. We think one of these "checks" on the list will be the one to completely and immediately change us into adults, but I'm beginning to see that it's really a slow and continual process. No one thing will magically flip the switch in us from childhood to adulthood. We're already there, but the adults we started off being in college are not the ones we are now, or the ones we'll be later. Each new step we come to changes us in different ways and magnitudes. I'm just grateful to be on this journey, and to have a wonderful husband to share it with.
So while Jared goes to work (I love the sound of that statement!) I'm slowly unpacking and putting together our house. I'm looking forward to exploring our new town and area of the country. Hopefully, I'll have more time (and motivation!) to keep you updated. For now, I've procrastinated on the box-diminishing long enough.
