Dinner on the Patio

Highland Park Village, Patrizio

Heath, Emily, Rachel, Anne, Claire, and Leslie

Everything is Bigger in Texas

Yes, women really do have big hair in Texas. 

Yes, men really do have wear cowboys hats everywhere in Texas. 

And Yes, God is unbelievably BIG in this place! 


If God=Everything.......Then "Everything"=Bigger in Texas


Here's the deal...

If there had been no "Heath and Emily are best friends," then chances are, I probably wouldn't have moved to Dallas.  But in order to make that happen, there had to be a small town named Burlington.  And in order to get us to Burlington, my parents had to go to Elon and settle down in that small town.  And Heath's parents had to move from Charlotte and start their family in that same small town.  And there had to be a Turrentine Middle School cheerleading squad for Heath and I to find as our first common ground.  And thank goodness that there was a dance studio named Walkerdance where years of our friendship would flourish.  And I had to have an older brother that was the same age as Heath.  And Anna Gayle had to come to Williams High School everyday and invite Heath and I to YL Camp in Colorado. And there had to be a Williams High School Cheerleading squad where Heath and I would spend countless hours together cheering for our boys.  And there had to be a Scott Beasley that would sweep Heath off her feet and marry her and move her to Dallas, TX. 

....You see, the story is intricate. The story has lots more details than the ones mentioned above. The story started a long time ago.  This was God's plan all along.  It is not a coincidence.  The idea of "Heath and Emily being best friends" was created long before we ever met.  We are living out an incredible story that was written for us.  And, today, I'm in Dallas because of it, and I absolutely LOVE this chapter of my story. 

So yeah, I'd agree, "Everything" is bigger in Texas.

Missing things

I really hate missing things.  Today my dear friend, Robyn, celebrates her birthday.  I do NOT like missing days like today.  I was in Mexico with her the day she got married...I was with her in Wilmington the day she told us she was pregnant...and I should be taking her out to some swanky birthday dinner tonight.  Robs, I wish I could be there to celebrate you today...sending all kinds of birthday love from Dallas!!

Checking In

Not too much to report here.  It was a normal week at work.  Went to a birthday dinner, saw some familiar faces from Heath's wedding.  Face timed with mom and dad for the first time.  Spent some time at the neighborhood pool.  Went shopping.  Tried a new church.  Went to the grocery store.  Wrote.  Read.  Helped Heath host a Memorial Day cookout.  Starting a new workout class tomorrow morning-The Bar Method.  Talked to my sister on the phone, laughed a lot.  Checked Instagram, laughed a lot.  Took Ward on a walk. Loved Dallas.

Dallas Digs

This is my neighborhood....

This is my house....

These are my roommates...

This is my favorite roommate...

I Was Here

You will notice me-I'll be leaving my mark like initials carved in an old oak tree.  You wait and see.  Maybe I'll write like Twain wrote, maybe I'll paint like Van Gogh, cure the common cold, I don't know.  But I'm ready to start because I know in my heart that I want to do something that matters, say something different, something that sets the whole world on its ear.  I want to do something better with the time I've been given.  I want to try to touch a few hearts in this life, and leave nothing less than something that says "I was here."

I will prove you wrong.  If you think I'm all talk, you're in for a shock because this dream is too strong and before too long...maybe I'll compose symphonies.  Maybe I'll fight for world peace, because I know it's my destiny to leave more than a trace of myself in this place!

And I know that I will do more than just pass through this life.  I'll leave nothing less than something that says "I was here!" 



.....I wish I had written that.  It's a song, but I couldn't agree more with those lyrics.  That is somewhat the cry of my heart these days....

Work

Sometimes I forget the reason I'm here...but it IS for work.  Life at Global-Knowledge-Dallas is good so far!  One of my teammates reminded me the other day..."Emily, you know you're going to love this job, right?"  I worked at an IT Trade Show at the Dallas Convention Center today with my 2 teammates...Cyndi and Erin.  I know, I know...sweet polo and sweet lanyard....

Survival Kit

Moving to Dallas has been really exciting but hard at the same time.  However, the little things along the way have made it managable and made this transition almost seamless. 

I always say "I'd take a hand written note over diamonds any day" and I seriously mean that.  I have kept these cards with me at all times and read them over and over again....

Living with the Beasleys is almost too good to be true.  You cannot put a price on "feeling at home."  Last night, Heath and I were kicked back on the couch watching the Bachelorette and I felt right at home.  The fact that they have the most adorable house in all of Dallas doesn't hurt, but I love waking up everyday with the Beasley family!

Sometimes Sarah Kassouf sends me emails that say "tell me with one sentence how you feel right now."  She makes check in and keeps it real and I really need that.  She also reminds me that she moved away too, and it's so refreshing to know that I'm doing something she has already done!

I get a text every morning from Emily Dawson at 6am...I have for the past week.  She literally wakes me up everyday with a reminder that she is thinking about me and praying for me.  It's pretty much the best way ever to start my mornings. 

Mom and Dad have upped their texting game and are keeping in touch excellently through text.  Hearing from home never gets old. 

Robyn sends me pictures of Gabe so that I don't miss out on how adorable he is!

Skyping with Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds is a breath of fresh air. 

Mike Caiola being able to make me laugh every single time I talk to him is almost my favorite part of my day.  "Emily, you left NC 5 days ago and you have only made it 5 hours down the road!"  -M.C.

Any and all emails, phone calls, texts, etc have meant the world to me...YOU are my survival kit.  

A well deserved tribute

It is only appropriate that I take a moment to tip my hat to my friend, my co-pilot, and my biggest fan.  In actuality, words on a page are far from the credit that she deserves for being such an amazing friend, but, then again, no gesture of thanks would be ample to show her how much I appreciate her.  Sarah Mullins, you are one of a kind and I often wonder how I would do life without you.  Better yet, I wonder how I would have done this trip from NC to TX without you. 

Thank you from the bottom of this little heart of mine for loving me so well.  Thank you for driving half way across the country with me.  Thank you for brining a wireless card so I could have internet access the entire time.  Thank you for always getting me a cup of ice with a top and a straw at every gas station.  Thank you for taking picutres and documenting everything we did so that my family and friends could be updated every hour.  Thank you for letting me listen to a lot of country music.  Thank you for driving around Dallas so I could look around.  Thank you for being up for anything--hanging out with a gang member or going to a high school tennis match.  Thank you, most of all, for believing in me. 

Your selflessness and generosity go beyond words, but you know that I am ever so thankful for you being just the way that you are.  God did something incredible when he taught you how to love people, I give you an A+!

Watching Sarah roll her bags through the sliding doors and into the terminal at DFW today was nothing short of gut wrenching.  I hated watching my friend leave.  But, of course, in true Sarah Mullins fashion, she grabbed my face and looked me in the eyes and said "this is your city...you're gonna do great!" 

I love you sweet friend.

Home Sweet (Temporary) Home

After 18 hours and 1100 miles, I have finally parked my car in Dallas for the night.  To say all of this feels surreal is an understatement...I am well aware that this whole idea has not yet sunk in.  But today at about 4:15 Central Time, I had a moment.  I was driving West on I-30 and came to the top of a hill and as I looked down to the bottom, I saw this incredible portrait.  There was some huge lake and the skyline of Dallas was off in the distance.  Because I had  been on the road for so long, I felt a little bit numb to everything and was just ready for the road trip to be complete.  But when I actually laid eyes on Dallas for the first time today, the butterflies in my stomach went crazy and I was covered with a wave of emotion.  I have no idea what awaits me under this big Texas sky, but something feels right. 

Nashville--Memphis--Little Rock

I hope I enjoy Dallas as much as I enjoy Nashville.  It’s Friday morning, about 10am, and the streets of Downtown Nashville are alive—every shop/bar/restaurant has its doors open, live country music bands are posted up on the stages, and drinks are being served! 

We forced ourselves to leave Nashville…very much against our will….and hit the road again to head West.  Hannah was playing her final tennis match in Memphis, and we made our way over to Hutchinson to watch her.  She won, of course.

Sunset came, and that meant it was time to hug those last few family members of mine goodbye and hit the road once again.  Destination, Little Rock, AR.  The West really is a beautiful place—it’s different than NC, that’s for sure, but I’m in awe of this place.  We are hanging up our boots at the good ole Holiday Inn in Little Rock tonight....absolutely beat from a long, but wonderful day!

Being in Little Rock made me think of this song and some of the lyrics are quite applicable.  The song is “A Little Past Little Rock” by Lee Ann Womack. 

“I’m a little past Little Rock, further down the line.  It’s too soon to know what’s up ahead, too late to change my mind.  I’ve got to keep my heart out of this, both hands on the wheel…learning more with every mile just how leaving feels.” -L. Womack

Day One on the Road (from Statesville to Nashville)

We hit the road this morning and quickly made our first pit stop for breakfast.  Within 10 minutes of being on the highway, Sarah was sick--she got food poisoning from our breakfast.  Fail number 1 of the day.

I hung all my clothes in the back of my car like this...

About 30 minutes into the trip, they looked like this...

Fail number 2 of the day.

Nevertheless, we have about 400 miles under our belts, and we arrived safely in Nashville.  It was almost impossible to drive through Asheville without stopping to see Ponder and hear Waylon say "I wuv you Em-a-yee!"And it was everything I had not to pull off the highway in Knoxville and stroll down memory lane on Good Ole Rocky Top. But the highway was calling us, so we kept going and finally made it to Nashville.  A table for 5 at Bricktops Restaurant was just about the most perfect evening in the world...good food, great company!

Things that are NOT failing:
I have the best co-pilot in the world. 
My soon-to-be sister-in-law packed us the world's best bag of snacks.
Emily Nance already booked her flight to Dallas to visit in September.
Pit stop in Nashville/the Kimbrough family.
Phone call from Lindsey Ogus to check in.

Ready...Set...

I woke up this morning and wondered if it was crazy to turn around and go back to Raleigh one more time just to wrap my arms around those people that are so hard to leave behind.  I still kinda wonder if I should...

I got a lot of texts today that said "how's the roadtrip?" "have you made it to Nashville yet?"  "are you already in Texas?"....the truth is, I haven't even made it out of North Carolina.  Leaving behind the Capital City was rough, but spending my last night in the house I grew up in made it almost impossible to leave today.  Today, more than ever, I appreciated when our Lab needed a belly rub--It felt better than ever when Mom kissed my forehead this morning when she left for work--And eating lunch with Dad seemed to feel more special than it ever had in the past.  I know that no matter how old I am, I will always be their "little girl," and days like today will never be easy.

But somehow, I found my way away from Aycock Avenue and onto I-40 WEST to put the wheels of this journey into motion.  Tomorrow's sunrise means that it is time to put hundreds of miles behind me and time to set my eyes on Dallas. 

The Signature

I put my signature on a piece of paper on April 17 that changed everything.  That signature meant that I accepted the job.  Moreso, it meant that I was accepting the challenge that had been tugging on my heart for quite some time...the challenge to walk away from the familiar and into the unknown.  With that signature, I surrendered to the journey. 


I've learned a lot about this idea of "surrendering to the journey" in the past 2 years of my life.  A wise friend of mine told me that life would begin at the end of my comfort zone.  She asked me to trust her and promised me that she would walk beside me in my journey and only asked that I always surrender to whatever was in store for me along the way.  I'm taking that mentality that she taught me and moving 29 years of my life away from what I've always known and hunkering down in a new place. Why not?  


I have learned that there is a thrilling element in trying something new-in going beyond what is comfortable-in throwing up your hands and trusting God.  Stay tuned, there are bound to be some exciting updates coming your way from Dallas, Texas!! 


"How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard."  ~Carol Sobieski