Now, I'm quite vociferous about my Pennsylvania-ness. I LOVE PA! I consider it my home. The land of my birth (in spirit). The place I return to to have my soul rejuvinated. Why? Well, there are lots of reasons really. But mostly it's because my dad was born and raised in Pennsylvania. My dad's side of the family have lived there since immigrating from Switzerland and Germany in the 1700's. I have a great-great-something-uncle with a town named after him. Basically, had Viet Nam not been happening, I would have been born in PA. (Right, Mom and Dad?) Or at least, I should have been born in PA.
I lived in my Pennsylvania till I graduated from high school. Then I was off to the zoo known as BYU in Utah. Upon graduating, I made the decision to stay in the West. I could go home to PA any time, I told myself. I had gone to school to be a teacher, and at the time, teaching jobs were scarce in PA. I was NOT one to sub, plus I LOVE an adventure, so I found a job in California. Blythe, California. Desert, California. Hmmm . . . still intrigues me that I ended up there. But for five years I called Blythe the place where I hung my hat (if I'd actually worn one).
Now, I'll admit it, I cried--okay, bawled?--when Katie and Ken and I drove down Hobsonway (the main street) for the first time. It was August. It was monsoon season. I was wondering what on earth had possessed me to accept a job in the desert. I was a PA-er, after all. I needed rain. I needed seasons. I needed . . . GREEN!
But I liked Blythe. I even miss it sometimes. The Lord knew me, and He at least gave me a place to live that had a little bit of green. Blythe is a farming community, so I had lots of gorgeous green fields on the edges of town to keep my thirst for green while not quenched, at least moistened.
After five years there I moved to Upland, California. I will tell you, Joseph and I had been looking at another city to live in, but we got off the freeway at the Upland exit just for kicks. And I fell in love. Euclid Avenue is a gorgeous, gorgeous street with the longest row of trees I've ever seen. It was like manna from heaven. I knew immediately we HAD to live in Upland. The greeness called to me. I spent six years there in my Upland. And I did love being there. Upland will always, always have a special spot in my heart.
After 11 years of being in California, and 16 years of not living in Pennsylvania, I moved to North Texas. Now, I was hesitant. It actually took me a year before I was ready to make the move. Maybe it's just that it took me a year to say good-bye to my California. Either way. I was not overly enthused when the topic of moving to Texas was mentioned.
And then, I actually came here. I flew in to go house hunting and I fell in love. The green. The little bumps (not true hills, but I was willing to accept them). The water towers, for Pete's sake. It was the greatest blessing I could have received. If I wasn't going to be able to live in my Pennsylvania, at least I was going to live in some place green and sorta-like where I grew up.
But the thoughts of when I would some day return to my Pennsylvania for good still played in the back of my mind. Because that was the plan, you know. Go off. Have an adventure. Enjoy the things our wonderful country has to offer and then go HOME. For good.
However a recent trip to the near-homeland made me realize that's not what I want to do. I love love love my East. I love the green hills and Amish buggies and water towers and pretzels and Italians (the sandwich and the men) and all that's my home. But I realized it's the home of Teddi Eberly, not Teddi Martin. I go there to remember who I am and to have my emotional buckets refilled. I return to feel that sense of security that we all need, and to revisit my roots. To remind me that I have a place in this world and that I do indeed have the strength to be the best me I can possibly be.
But it's not my true home anymore.
That is Texas. North Texas. My Texas.
I drive around and have my breath taken away every time I turn onto Hwy 380. The view I have south and west is beyond description. I love the trees. The cows. The everything. I love how people are kind to each other. I love how I feel kind toward other people.
Now maybe it's tempting fate, but as I'm here knocking on wood, I'll tell you . . . I've finally found some place to call my home. And I hope I'm here for many, many, many years to come.