We Made It!

Well, we made it through the first week of living in North Carolina. Those first few days were a little rough. Not because the people were mean or the city is horrible, because it was actually the complete opposite of that. People from the Church were constantly calling/emailing us and asking if we needed things or if we were doing okay. One couple even brought by cupcakes to welcome us! And as for the city, it's absolutely gorgeous! I've never lived anywhere as beautiful and charming as Chapel Hill. No, the roughness came from our sudden reality check that we were no longer "home." That our families are thousands of miles away and it would take a 5 hour plane ride to ever be able to see them again. I have never had anxiety or panic attacks before, but on the day that we left Utah, it was bad.

On day 2, our stuff arrived. We had only planned on it being us and the two movers to unload the truck, but then out of the blue, 7 people from the Church showed up to help too! We got the whole thing done in less than an hour! I can't say enough about the people in our new Branch (it's too small to be a Ward). They are true examples of what it means to be Christ-like and they make me want to try harder so that I too can live the gospel the way it was intended to be lived. Josh and I spent the rest of that day/night unpacking things and attempting to get organized. By 10:00 pm however, the panic attack started setting in for both of us. "What are we doing here? What were we thinking?" were the questions we started asking. So Josh had the brilliant idea to get out of the house and go somewhere familiar to help calm us down. The problem is, nowhere in the South is familiar....... so what did we do? We went to Walmart! I know it sounds ridiculous but we took a lot of comfort in walking around Walmart and buying things for our new home. Something about there being a Walmart in Utah too made everything feel much better. Like I said, crazy....

The next couple of days were spent unpacking and after a while we didn't even feel like we missed Utah anymore. Maybe it had something to do with being surrounded by all of our stuff again? Or maybe it was just the shock of moving 2000 miles away wearing off? Either way, as we went on walks around the neighborhood and began feeling more comfortable with the territory, we actually started feeling at home! We decided to be brave and go to a fall chili cook-off our Branch held on Saturday. It was awkward at first because we didn't know anyone, but within minutes that "southern hospitality" kicked in and we were instantly surrounded by new friends. That made church the  next day much more enjoyable because we actually knew a few people. Oh and by the way, coming from Utah where there is a church on every corner and everyone around you is Mormon, this whole Branch thing is soooooo different. We don't even have an actual church to meet in! We meet in the basement of an office building in a town 20 minutes away from us! It is crazy different, but you wouldn't believe how awesome it is! There is a feeling of family and camaraderie that exists in this small Branch between all of its members that is so unique and unlike anything we have ever experienced. The people are truly loving and thoughtful because they are all each other has, not because they want to get a gold star from the Bishop (sorry but sometimes it feels that way in Utah).

Now basically all that's left to do is finish decorating the apartment and then we are officially all moved in! Josh started his job yesterday. I was dying for him to come home and tell me all about it! He is going to have  A LOT of responsibility but I think he will do great. Basically he is his own boss and has the finances of 5 different MBA programs (around 1500 students) to manage. That is a lot more pressure than I would ever want, but he's the one who went into Business Administration so more power to him! As for me, I've already got a friend/walking buddy! She lives just down the street so it is perfect! We walked around yesterday and she showed me different parts of the neighborhood I hadn't seen yet and gave awesome advice and fun facts. For example, she showed me that Michael Jordan's Mom lives just down the street from us! Cool huh?! So all in all, this past week turned out to be pretty great! I even talked Josh into buying me a new bike so we can get into biking around all the neat trails they have here! We have been very blessed and I have seen God's hand working for us on more than one occasion. Thank you to all of our friends and family who have called and texted, letting us know you've been thinking about us. Your love has been felt!

Our new home