Circumstances seem to have confirmed something I suggested not long ago: I’ll be moving again. My wife has accepted a promotion that comes with a transfer, and while I’ll be keeping the job I’ve had for a while, staying where I am now would make for too long a commute for her to be tenable. As such, we’re relocating to a place from which we’ll both have a bit of a drive to where we need to go: Johnson City, Texas.

I know that I’ve had somewhat to say about living in the Hill Country, particularly in the town where I grew up–such as this. And I confess to some apprehension about the whole thing. Johnson City’s a lot smaller than Kerrville, and though it’s only an hour away on a fairly easy drive, it’s still away from a town I’ve been reminded offers a lot of good–that I’ll now not have quite so easy access to as I do now. (Yes, I’ll still be working where I work, which puts me just outside of Kerrville, but there’s a difference between commuting to a place for work and living in that place.) And my daughter will be leaving friends she’s known for years, which is not an easy thing to do.

At the same time, the coming relocation has shaken a number of things loose that have needed to be shaken loose. It has pushed me to be more appreciative of things, for one, and such appreciation is frequently noted as a good thing. Too, the promise of new things to explore and to do entices, and Johnson City offers a fair bit for that; there’s history to the place, including a national park, as well as a pretty good children’s museum and some good food and drink.

Further, at long last, we’re buying a home instead of renting. I’d planned to for a while, as might be guessed from comments I’ve made about wanting to put down roots and provide more stability for my family. Somehow, though, there was always some reason for me not to do so, not to put out feelers and get ideas about what I could do on that score; the pending relocation somewhat forced the issue. And it was scary; in many ways, it still is. But it’s also exhilarating, and the further I get into the process of it, the more excited about it I get; I am looking forward to having the keys in hand, and I am looking forward to the new adventure that the move presents.

Moving’s expensive; help me out?