It was a year ago this week that I started my journey from Texas to New Jersey. April 1 was the day that it was announced, and I was on the road by April 3rd. To say that it has been a year of change would be an understatement.
 
Things I miss in Texas:

Arrowhead Resort. Losing my weekends at the lake was almost a deal-killer.

Coworkers - When you work with the same people for 15 years you get attached to them.

My House & Big Yards - I loved my house in Mansfield

Affordable Landscapers (Mow and Blow is $200 bucks / mo here) for small yard.

Trash Days - They only collect trash once a week here. I was spoiled.

TexMex - its just not a big deal up here. Italian & Chinese, yes, but they don’t do TexMex up here. What’s up with that?

Whataburger - They don’t exist north of Arkansas.

70mph Speed Limit - That was wonderful in Texas. Here in NJ there must be a speed cop for every mile of I-80. And they are good at what they do.

Warm Weather - I have never liked the severe heat, but I have learned to like extreme cold even less. Ok, so my blood is thin. I am working on it.

TexMex - Tacos, cheese enchiladas, Guacamole. Not the Southwestern stuff, either. REAL TexMex.

Lowe’s Farm - Great Neighborhood, Great People.

Lower Taxes (Trust me on this one!!!!) – Its even worse now with the economy. Governor Corzine would like nothing better than to take away the deductibility of my property taxes and mortgage interest. This wasn’t an issue in Texas because, HELLO, there is no state income tax there.

TV News - I know they have journalists here. I was just used to the personalities in the DFW market because I knew so many personally. That said, NBC 4 here does a pretty good job.

Big Supermarkets (Like Tom Thumb, Kroger, etc) – The stores here are small. Think “Winn Dixie”. Really.

Sonic - Oh, that crushed ice.

TexMex - Not sure if I mentioned this: Chicken enchiladas, refried beans, toriliias.

DFW Airport (I’ll NEVER complain about it again) – EWR is just a nightmare. If the wind blows, so does EWR.

Central Time Zone - I never thought about if before, but I think the peeps on the east coast get screwed out of an hour.

Good Morning Radio - I still pipe in Mix 102.9 from DFW. I miss Tony but start my days with Victoria, and I listen to Ken out of Fort Worth on Saturday nights.

Affordable HOA Dues – They just went up to $100 bucks a month here.

Swimming Pools – I never used it. Don’t know why I miss it, but I do.

Mrs. Bairds – This is Wonder-land here.

Thunderstorms – I miss those big Texas thunderboomers. I don’t remember there being a real thunderstorm since I have been here

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Okay, now for the good stuff about being in New Jersey…..

Winter – Okay. I know what I said about the cold but the snow isn’t THAT bad. As time goes on, I am building up my resistance to the cold. The winters are much more interesting that I expected them to be and I really didn’t have a hard time managing through the snow as I expected I might.

A Lot of Mom and Pop Establishments. It is refreshing that there isn’t a chain store or national brand restaurant on every corner. Local businesses are alive here, but struggling with the economy. I support the locals as much as I can.

Gas Stations – 100% Full Service at Self Service Prices. Not a bad deal, especially in the winter. Supposedly you aren’t expected to tip the gas jockeys here but I do anyway.

Nice Neighbors – The cookie brigade started the first week I moved in. The neighbors are incredibly friendly.

Traffic Commute – Not as Bad as Dallas was. Really. No one believes me, but its true. I think its because they have public transportation down to a science here. I drove the same distance but spent a lot more time on the road in Dallas than I do here.

Work - I have a great office, a wonderful staff, and the facility is terrific.

NYC - Proximity to the city is about 20-30 minutes. That’s cool. I don’t go often but its easy to go when I want to.  New York City is just a magical kind of plac e- no where else on earth quite like it.

Nature – Believe it or not, I live in the country. Tree shaded two lane roads. Deer. No freeway noise.   Bears and deer roam freely but they don’t bother anyone.

My Mopar Friends – I have joined a Charger group and made some really good friends outside of work.

Basement – Awesome media and recreation room with a huge bar. Why didn’t we have basements in Texas? I am sure there was a reason.
Multi-Story Houses – I have always owned a single story house – now I have three floors. I kinda like it.

Car Inspections – Inspection is good on a new car for four years, then renews every two after that. The state does the inspection at no charge. (I havent quite figured out yet how I am going to handle the whole car registration and inspection thing yet – - I guess I am ultimately going to have to bite the bullet and register the cars here)

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So, after a year, here is the deal. Of course I miss Texas. It was home for so many years, and it will ALWAYS be my home away from home and the place I go back to. It is hard to learn a whole new environment. Everything felt so unfamiliar and different, but it didn’t take long before that difference became a new freshness, and the strangers became family.

Now, after a year, I can say New Jersey is home. The people here have been great to me, they accept my southern accent and heritage, and they have taken me in as their own. The Northeast is rich in history and heritage that I am fortunate to experience. There are so many places to go and see that are within easy driving distance right from my front door.

Of course I have had my challenges. The recent death of my grandmother was a blow, but I am working through that. The economy has brought on a lot of professional stress, but I know I am fortunate nonetheless. I really enjoy my work here and I feel like I make a difference. I am energized and excited about change, and I enjoy being challenged.

Trust me, I know how to find my way back to Texas and I will continue to do so as often as I can. But it does feel good when I come back home – - and right now, home for me is in Long Valley, New Jersey.

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