Getting Settled

Last week we visited our daughter, Bailey, at her new place in Texas! We saw her new school, checked out the town where she'll be living, and enjoyed some great Texas food while we were there. It's a very exciting time in her life, as she is just getting started in her career. And it's just as exciting for us, as we get to watch and cheer her on!

I'm not going to lie: This "real life" transition has been tough for me, much harder than her move to college. Although she was far away for five long years during college, it still felt "temporary" to me. This move, as it should, feels more permanent. There's a mental and emotional adjustment that comes with the realization that hey...this is it. This is really it. Still, I am extremely excited for this new stage in her life, and I could not wait to visit her! 

Bailey's new apartment has a really nice balcony, and there's even a handy storage closet on the deck for stashing outdoor items. Her succulents (unlike mine!) seem to be thriving in the Texas heat. Go figure! Since she apparently has a green thumb, I insisted on picking up a hanging basket, too. :)

Happily, she found apartments in her new town to be larger and less expensive than comparable apartments in Indiana. Her new place is very bright and cheery, and the fireplace makes it quite homey -- although I'm not quite sure why one needs a wood-burning fireplace in 100-degree Texas heat!

 Although she had already unpacked quite a bit before we arrived, we helped her arrange things and finish unpacking all of her boxes.

The window sills are wide (PERFECT FOR A CAT!) and provide a great spot for her violets. Look at those blooms!

She has a lovely bedroom and the most humongous walk-in closet you can imagine. I could move right in! :)

There's a nice galley kitchen with an area for a washer/dryer at the back. It will be the perfect spot for her eventual kitty's food, water, and litter!

 There's a cute little dining room...

...and a nice bathroom with tons of storage space.

 While we were visiting, we looked for a few inexpensive accessories for the apartment. After searching far and wide, she found this vinyl tree at Target which is actually the same one I have on my craft room wall. She put mine up for me three years ago, so she knew the drill! Still, it was very late when she finished that night. 

The next morning when I was back at the hotel, something very strange happened. I got out of bed and turned on my phone to see that Facebook had randomly displayed the photo below from exactly three years before on my timeline, showing her putting up the vinyl tree in my craft room. It was literally the first thing I saw when I opened my eyes. It was truly the strangest thing ever, because I don't even remember sharing this photo on Facebook.

Spouse is sure there was nothing random about it. He believes that photo was placed there for a reason, to reassure us that she is taking what she's learned in Iowa and making a new home of her own, just as she should. Then it occurred to me: The tree -- with its roots -- was a real-life illustration of the picture I made for her at graduation. 

Bailey is already hard at work in her new job and we know she's going to have a huge impact on the kids she'll be teaching. Texas is a great place to teach band, and we could not be more excited about her future there.

We know that her roots are deep and her wings are strong. We can't wait to see where they take her!