One Year, Baby!

IN honor of the ONE YEAR anniversary of our move to the country, I would love to share with you the top 6 differences in our lives from one year ago to now. Some of these are not truly new to me, but simply things I had forgotten about. No matter the case, we can't deny that our lives are different.

#6:  My car has high-beam headlights. In the five years previous to our move, I don't think I used my high-beams once. Now, I use them almost any time I'm driving at night. Exciting, I know.

#5:  Everyone waves. Growing up in Fairfield, I am familiar with this trend, and it is one of my favorite traditions. But I'm out of practice. So please forgive me if I don't wave. I promise I don't mean to be rude; I honestly didn't see you. And I very often doubt my ability to recognize your vehicle. I promise I'll get better.

#4:  My cravings for Starbucks are as strong as the first day I moved here. As well as my need to visit Target daily. And the vast variety of restaurants. I became accustomed to the conveniences of the city, and I'm still adjusting to not having them. 

#3:  I'm cooking A LOT. On the flip side of #4 is the fact that we're eating at home more than ever, which means we're saving a lot of money. So, YAY! My family might not be so excited (I'm not the best cook), but we're all getting plenty to eat, so I think we'll survive.  

#2:  We miss our neighbors. The choice to buy in the country was 100% ours, but the kids and I definitely miss our neighborhood, Meadow Bend. Austin and Addison had neighbor friends over almost daily. "Driveway Time" with Sarah, Laura, and Rhonda were special to me. Those friendships will be dear to us always.

#1:  The Stars. I absolutely forgot how beautiful the sky is at night. You might think I'm exaggerating, but I promise you the sky in the city is bland compared to the beauty I witness each night. It is my favorite thing about the country. When I look up, peacefulness comes over me. I am reminded that a greater Being is in control. The stars are absolutely indescribable.

If I listed the pros and cons of each, I still wouldn't be able to decide which I prefer, the city or the country. Although our lives are different, I'm just as happy as I've always been. Did I mention the stars?