Well, Jason and I have officially been "Wichitans" for 1 month! We are still adjusting, but things are going great. I have really enjoyed my job thus far, and Jason is on his way to finishing up school. Our primary focus recently has been looking for a house, but we've also taken the time to "tour" the area quite a bit. Here are a few things that I really like about Wichita:
1) The traffic....or lack thereof...
- It only takes me about 15 minutes to get to work, and I don't have to get on any
interstates! We really enjoyed Dallas, but not the Dallas traffic. I love being able
to go places without having to get on an interstate!
2) The weather
- I'm sure I will retract this statement in the winter, but for now, I LOVE the weather!
Even though it's the summer, the evening are beautiful and cool!
3) Everyone goes walking
- One of the first things I noticed after we moved here is how many people walk
outside in the evening. Not just in the small neighborhoods, but even along main
streets (well, on the sidewalks). Every night, we see families out walking dogs or
going on bike rides together.
4) The
Chisholm Creek Park - This is a wildlife reserve in the middle of the metropolitan area. The entire area is
wooded, and there are trails that weave throughout the reserve...most of which are over
a mile in length. Some of the trails turn into bridges to go over the wetland areas. I love
going walking here. So far, I've seen a mama and baby deer, ducks, a possum,
fish, turtles, and a skunk (don't worry, we weren't too close). I've heard that it's common
to see muskrats, but I haven't seen one of those yet.
5) My job at the VA
- My new job is at the Dole VA Medical Center. It is acutally a historical monument, so
it is a really pretty building (
see here). My co-workers are awesome, as will as my
supervisor. All of the pharmacy staff is super-friendly and they were all sooooo
welcoming when I first came. Today, they had a Farmer's Market for the VA employees
out on the front lawn. It was so neat to see all of the vendors. I got some produce,
homemade pastas, and bread. Very fun!
6) The friendly people
- The people here remind me a lot of the people in Oklahoma...very friendly! They
always wave when we walk by, and those people we've met when were are "out and
about" have been very kind! We're met and visited with our postal carrier, the
maintenance guys at our apt complex, local restaurant owners/workers, and, as
I mentioned above, the people at the VA.
7) The close proximity to Enid
- It is so nice to be closer to home! Last weekend, we decided to go to Enid on the spur
of the moment. It takes about 1 hr and 45 min, so we were able to go there in the morning
and come back that evening. This definitely beats the 5 and 1/2 hour drive from Dallas
to Enid. I wish we were closer to Jason's parents too, but it's about the same distance
from Wichita to Norman as it was from Dallas to Norman.
These are just a few of the things that have really made an impression on me since we've moved! I hope that things continue to go well for us, but I feel as though we're made a good start.
Jason, Carrie (Alan's girlfriend), Alan & Grant (my brothers)
Jason shoveling snow...brrr!
Mom and Chuck (my stepdad) in the One Horse Open Sleigh
Family pic
My cousin's daughter Makenzie
Mom getting the food ready....yum!
Makenzie (cousin Stacey's daughter) and Haley (cousin Brent's daughter)
Jason and Ashley (my cousin Scott's wife)
Playing Dirty Santa with family!
Grant got an OU Snuggie! (I couldn't convince him to do the dance :)
L to R: Stacey (cousin), me, Jill (cousin), Ashley (cousin Scott's wife), Avadelle (cousin Brent's wife)
