Moving

This has been a confusing month and a half while we have been on vacation. But the end point is that on July 14th we will be moving to Williston, North Dakota. Party! I have mixed feelings about this move because I have never been to North Dakota or seen pictures of where we will be living so I have no idea what to expect. All I know is that Williston is an oil boom town and we will be living there for about a year. We will be living in a three bedroom corporate apartment for the first six months while we put our names on waiting lists at other apartments. I feel like I need some sort of emphasis when I say it, like, "North freakin' Dakota." But then I realized that just the name of the state is profane enough. Below is what I wrote on our anniversary, which was the day we found out about the move.

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I have so many feelings right now. Sam called me to tell me that his boss called him into the office and we will be moving. Just last night we talked about how we don't know when the move will be. We were told it will be sooner than we originally anticipated, but we didn't think it will be until September or October. I hoped it wouldn't be until October. I have been working so hard on my Personal Progress and I have to serve for a year in order to earn my medallion. I was called last August, but it is not to be.

On Sunday (three days ago), our landlord emailed me about renewing our lease for another year. We decided to go month-to-month because we don't know when we'll be leaving.

Six days ago, we decided to stop living in the future. We try not to make big purchases or do anything that will be bad if we have to move. Six days ago, we got a membership to Costco.

We always thought we would have a lot of time at least. We figured they would give us plenty of warning. But we are leaving on vacation next week and we will be gone for two weeks. Then I'm leaving for another two weeks.

We are moving in less than two months. This is happening so fast. That means I only have 28 more days in Texas.

I feel bad for the friends I have made. I feel like friends are an investment. When we moved here, I didn't want to be treated as a temporary person so I didn't tell people. Now I feel like I tricked them. They invested time and love into me and I am just running away. I didn't give enough back.

But it's done. I will go where they ask us to go. We will be moving July 1st [changed to July 14th because the moving company SLB uses was booked) to Williston, North Dakota. There are only six states I have never been to, and North Dakota is one of them.

I wish I could tell people. I saw many of my friends at mutual tonight and I couldn't tell them. I just wanted to tell them and get a hug. They have been there for me so many times.

Now. North Dakota. What. The. Heck. I pulled up a map to see what it was near, and I had to zoom out. A friend from church works for SLB and he said that he went to Williston and the 50 MPH winds were knocking him over.

Yesterday, I was thinking about how grateful I am that we live somewhere there isn't snow. I was so sick of Ithaca weather. I wanted my boys to be able to play outside every single day, and that is something we could do in Texas.

We won't have a house-hunting trip. They will put us in corporate apartments and then we will find our own place once we're there. I think housing options are slim though. The city is growing too quickly because of the oil fields, and housing can't keep up.

I am going to miss playing outside with the boys. I am going to miss it so much. I want to cry. I am crying.

We were days away from buying a second car but we aren't going to anymore. Williston is small enough that I can either drive Sam to work or he can carpool.

There is a ward there. The nearest temple is in Bismarck, 3.5 hours away.

I feel like big things are waiting for us. I am not sure why I am not more scared or worried than I am. I am overwhelmed with how peaceful I feel about it. North Dakota is such an unknown. But we are going as a family so I guess we will figure out everything else. It isn't glamorous, but I am taking the people I care about the most.

I cried when I first learned. Now I am confused that I am not crying more. I think this could be good.