The tale of two Minnesotans in Texas

I was born in Burnsville, MN and raised nestled in Midwestern-suburbia. I moved to Minneapolis when I went to college and throughout my undergraduate career, I lived in Honolulu and St. Paul. I absolutely loved living in St. Paul. Sure, my apartment was small and overpriced. We had an insane neighbor and terrible management. And we were the definition of broke early twenties-somethings. But, it was centrally located in the Twin Cities and our friends came over nearly every night.

After I graduated from college, Blake and I found ourselves at my aunt and uncle's house in Cambridge, MN. At first, I hated living there. I worked at the nursing home in town and I hated that, too. I was miserable. I had no idea what I was going to do next. I panicked constantly and had frequent melt-downs. I felt as if everything was going up in smoke. The night before Thanksgiving, I was hit from behind on 35W S at 55 mph. I subsequently hit the Honda Civic ahead of me. My airbags went off and I spun off into the ditch. It was terrifying. I spent my Thanksgiving in the hospital in a foam collar high on morphine.

Time for a mood lightener!

I actually went to work on Thanksgiving, even though I could barely move my neck. Ha ha ha. That reminds me of a time during my freshman year of college when I was so drunk my words were slurred and I tried to study biology because I suddenly worried about the exam I had two weeks from then... (Brittany, remember that?)
I walked into work at 6:30 AM and everyone looked at me like I was Martian.

"Erin, are you alright? You don't look like normal," my coworkers inquired.

"Not really, I was totaled my car last night. My air bags went off and now I can barely move my neck," I responded.

"What the hell are doing here?!?"

"Well, I didn't want to call the on-call on Thanksgiving."

I made it through an hour, then I burst into tears. My coworker Natasha gave me a hug and called the on-call.

Anyway, to sum things up: I was ten pounds overweight, depressed, and broke. I was miserable. So I started to exercise. And I started eating better and more consistently. I made some big changes in the way I relate to people and how I react to stressful situations. I was accepted to graduate school. Blake became a Master Certified Automotive Technician. Work became incredibly fun. I fell in love with my coworkers, who I miss dearly. I consider many of them true friends. Dare I say it but I am actually happy.

Back to the present, Texas is hot. Katherine and Suzanne, Joe's (my advisor) other grad students, are awesome. Blake and I had some drinks with them last weekend and it was fun. They loved our MN accents and our loooooong vowels. I feel like people look at me like I am a Martian. The air is hot and heavy. And I am white as a ghost. While walking to campus yesterday, I was sweating so much that my tank top was drenched in the back.

Blake started his job and it did not go well. The shop is not air-conditioned. He also worked 12 hours, another thing he is not used to.

What an adventure we have started.

A collection of random thoughts floating in my head

On this beautiful summer day, Blake and I ventured down to the San Marcos River. The river is incredibly clean and contains plants found only in this particular river. It has a fairly rapid current, so tubing is an activity that many locals enjoy. The parks are absolutely gorgeous. The streets and parks are clean with the exception of one or two stray pieces of trash. I adore the plants and the other living organisms because they seem so exotic to me. I love looking at the street-side cacti and the variety of palm tree species that grow here. The great-tailed grackles are as common as pigeons or seagulls in Minnesota parking lots. The sound of the diverse repertoires of the mocking birds and the sight of them perched on street signs instantly puts a smile on my face. The air is hot and heavy but it feels fantastic. I have never experienced a climate quite like this. On Thursday we drove to Dallas and the weather was horrible. It was raining, but it was a different type of rain than what happens in a typical Minnesota summer. The weather was influenced by a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico; weather I have definitely not experienced before.

The cats have adjusted to their new home, it seems. The rats are still a little scared, but I think they will adjust soon. Gerty hides behind the blinds in the window sill and under the bed. Gus likes to be under the bed or anywhere that I am. Gerty howls at night when she wants a drink of water from the sink. Where do the cats learn these habits?

Blake and I have a long list of the things we would like for the apartment over the next two months. It includes a coffee table, computer desks, end tables, a book shelf, and many other house ware items.

"I would really like a food processor for Christmas, Blake. The color scheme is oranges, reds, and yellows, maybe Ikea has throw pillows? Let's go there next week," I found myself saying today. When did I become so domestic?

I am not sure why, but lately I have been thinking that I really want one or maybe two offspring someday. That's right, I said it. For the last month or so, my biological clock has been ticking. I almost melted when I passed by the infant clothing section at Target. What is happening to me?

For the first time in my life, I feel totally ready to start something COMPLETELY different. Blake and I have not fought since we settled in, the move was VERY stressful, and I feel lucky to be here. As Blake and I were walking along the river today, he looked down at the rocks lining the river and said, "Look erosion!".

"I think I just fell in love with you all over again," I thought to myself as I smiled at him.

What an adventure we have started. I do not to wish to speak so soon, but I think this is a fresh start. The bad things are all gone now.

I am so grateful to have my parents. My mother drove down here with me and stayed for four days. She bought me all sorts of things for my apartment, she bought me groceries, and she bought me clothes at the outlet mall. My dad flew down Tuesday night and left Wednesday afternoon in his truck. I wish he could have stayed longer. He bought me a dining table and chairs, a router, storage containers, a microwave, and a futon. I am so lucky to have been born to them. I miss them, but it is not painful. It is different from my past travels. I was too immature to be in Hawai'i in 2006. I know that my parents are proud of me and they are happy I am here, even if they miss me (I know they do).

How did I get so lucky?

The Great Texas Adventure Part I

Greetings from Texas! It has been a while since I have posted, but now that I have finally moved to TX, I will be posting more often. I have many things to tell from this week. Before I get into the journey to Texas and my first few days living here, I'll say a little something about my last weekend living in MN. I was lucky enough to see many of my friends at Chammps last Thursday evening. I had an awesome weekend at my family's cabin over the 4th of July weekend. I was able to hang out with my brothers and their ladies, all of my cousins and some aunts and uncles. It was the perfect ending to a wonderful chapter in my life.

On Monday around 6 AM, we (my mom, Blake, our friend John, myself, the cats, the rats, and a corn snake) headed out on 35 S to begin the long journey across the country. The drive through southern MN and Iowa was boring but driving to Kansas City, MO was a breeze. When we took off from KC, however, the drive started to seem endless. It became hotter the further south we traveled. MO was incredibly boring to drive through as well. Soon, we crossed into OK. The air was hot and heavy. We hit terrible traffic along a toll road. Along the highway was a sign that read "Hitchhikers may be escaped inmates". When we stopped at a gas station in OK, there was an advertisement for Friday's lunch special, fried frog legs! After nearly fifteen hours of driving, we stopped for the night at the Comfort Inn in Durant, OK.

Awake at 7 AM the next morning, we took off again with San Marcos, TX as our final destination. It was hot at 7 AM with air that was heavy and thick. The locusts danced on the pavement in the early morning heat. Before I knew it, we were crossing the Red River into my new state. 4 hours later, we arrived in San Marcos, TX. We quickly unloaded all of our things into our new apartment.

The next few days were spent shopping, unpacking, organizing, assembling furniture, and attempting to navigate the bizarre roads. The roads are much different than MN roads, but I like them much more. The drivers are better, except for the occasional bad one. There are no SuperAmericas, no Holidays, no Caribou Coffees, and no Cub Foods. There are Shell Stations, small coffee houses, H-E-B grocery, Carl's Jr., Chick-fil-a, road runners, great-tailed grackles, tiny deer, and exotic plants.

My dad came for about 12 hours. He flew in at midnight on Tuesday and was gone by 12:30 PM on Wednesday. I wish he could have stayed longer. My mom left yesterday and Blake and I drove John to Dallas. Now we are alone, and our life here begins.

In Honor of Minnesota

In five days from right now, I will be heading to begin the next chapter of my life in Texas. As I have said in nearly every blog post, I am beyond excited to move to San Marcos but I will always love my home state. So, in honor of this great state I have compiled a list of the best spots in this state. Go to them, friends! You will not be disappointed!

The Walker Art Center and the Sculpture Garden
Loring Park
Minnehaha Falls and Seasalt (awesome restaurant)
Itasca State Park
Como Zoo and the Conservatory
Minnesota Zoo
Gooseberry Falls State Park
Cascade River State Park
Crosby-Manitou State Park
Red Wing, MN
The Science Museum of Minnesota
The Saint Paul Farmer's Market
The Chain of Lakes
Sebastien Joe's Ice Cream
Chino Latino
First Avenue
Target Field
TCF Bank Stadium on Gopher football Saturdays
MN Valley Wildlife Refuge
Chatterbox Pub
Pizza Luce
Black Dog Park
St. Anthony Falls


I know there are more great spots all over the state, I wish I could include them all.

I'll miss you dearly Minnesota. The summers are gorgeous. I grew up swimming in many of the 11,000 lakes and catching fish with my dad. In autumn, the trees show an amazing display of colors. The winters can be cold, but the I'll admit I love the excitement of the first snowfall. When I was a child, I spent hours in the snow. Sledding, making snowmen and snow angels, making snow forts with my brothers, and there were some intense snowball fights along the way. When spring comes, life blooms again. The sight of the first red-wing black bird males and the rich morning chorus are two of the most wonderful experiences a person can have in the spring time. The sight of baby waterfowl is always exciting and I will never get sick of seeing Great Blue Herons fly through the sky.

I hate goodbyes

I graduated from college over a year ago and what a turbulent year it has been. The great earthworm opportunity was a bust, the whole law school thing also fell apart and in a matter of weeks I completed and submitted an application to graduate school. In January, I journeyed to San Marcos, TX for a graduate school interview. The visit was fantastic and three days later, I received an offer for admission into the program. The idea of moving to Texas was exhilarating.

"It is only January! I want to move to Texas NOW!!! The spring is going to drag on!"

It is now June 23 and I am moving in twelve days. Until the last few weeks, it all seemed like a dream that was never really going to happen. Most of my conversations are about the pending relocation. I do not sleep very well anymore, some nights I hardly sleep at all. I feel excitement, anxiety, sadness, and joy simultaneously.

Although I am looking forward to experiencing a new place to live, I am really going to miss Minnesota. I was lucky to have been raised here in this Midwest haven. What more could I have asked for?

Texas, get ready.

The beginning of the end

Three weeks from this moment, I will be arriving in San Marcos, Texas. I am thrilled to be embarking on an adventure and to begin the next chapter of my life. But with any major change, it comes with great anxiety. People ask me about the pending trans-county move approximately ten to fifteen times a day. I understand that it is exciting and interesting so I do not blame the empathic inquirers , but then I feel like vomiting and/or fainting. My mind starts racing.

"How is this all going to work? Will we have enough money? What if we do not get the apartment? Are the cats, rats, and snake going to be alright? What if I do not get a TA position? WHAT IF THIS ALL BLOWS UP IN OUR FACES?"

Alright, some of this are irrational fears. I am terrified and excited simultaneously. I will miss my friends, my family, and this wonderful state. I feel lucky to have been raised here. I had a terrific undergraduate experience. It exceed my expectations and dreams. It was everything I could have wanted and more. I had wonderfully supportive parents. I am lucky enough to have had an exceptional amount of support and understanding from my amazing boyfriend, Blake.

I will really, really miss my parents and my brothers. I am SO proud of my brothers. I cannot be more excited about Christian's wedding this fall.

I will miss my friends and family. I am lucky to have such fond memories and the opportunity to start an amazing new chapter.

I have been very lucky, indeed.

At home in the cosmos

A video from my favorite author/scientist:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnFMrNdj1yY

"We are star stuff ... a way for the cosmos to know itself."- Carl Sagan, Cosmos

I have chosen to dedicate my life to making the planet a better place to live. I probably will not see peace in my lifetime, but at least I can help get the ball rolling. I want my future nieces and nephews to have all of the things they need and the opportunity to fulfill their dreams. I want that for their children, their children's children and the subsequent generations. I'm doing this for them.

On a different note, I put up suet bird feeders in hopes of attracting the five species of woodpeckers that frequently visit the yard. Instead, it has become the squirrel feeder. I should have expected nothing less since the yard is full of old growth red oaks.