My general route from NH to TX.
This Friday morning I hit the road for San Antonio, Texas. Our family’s new home. It’s estimated to take 3 1/2 days including a visit with my brother and family in Bartlett, TN. I am happy about the decision to move back to Texas, but I’m saddened because of the people and the life I’ll leave in Keene after 3 years of living here.
It was May 31, 2009 when my family flew in to Manchester and drove to Keene. We beat the moving truck by 2 or 3 days, so we stayed in three different hotels our first three nights. I remember not being prepared for 35 degree weather on the morning of June 1st. I only packed shorts! It was June 1st! It’s hard to believe that 3 years have passed by so quickly.
And I’ve been reflecting on the things what I will miss most about living in this area…
10. Small town life. No rush to get anywhere, because you’ll be there in no time anyway. Slow and steady suits me pretty well.
9. Mountains and streams. Even though we’re moving to the beautiful Hill Country of Texas, I will miss the green mountains, dark lakes, and flowing rivers that are so commonly seen here. I only fished one river and climbed one mountain, but I always stare at them in wonder for an extra moment as I drive past them up here. Disappointed I never saw a moose either.
8. Real winters, to a certain extent. Shoveling snow got old after the third scoop. I enjoy cold weather but I don’t like being cold. And I’ll miss watching Jillian make snow angels and hand-held snow pies in the front yard.
Central Square in Keene, NH.
But a crisp winter when the sun is shining and it’s 28 degrees is really beautiful. And we could very well be wearing shorts on Christmas Day in Texas.
7. New England beaches. But not the frigid water. Give me 88 degree water any day.
6. Ice cream stands. Only open in the warm times of the year and I probably frequented them a little too often. But I know of nothing like them in Texas.
5. The classic New England charm. Cobblestone streets of Nantucket, colorful houses and traffic circles. History comes alive in most places here in ways that are uniquely different from Texas.
4. Downtown Keene. Beautiful and walkable. Good chance you’ll see someone you know as you walk up one side and down the other. Lots of classic downtowns in the towns of New England.
3. My patients. I didn’t get a chance to say goodbye to most of my patients. I want all of you to know that my replacement, Dr. Bart Higley is going to be a superstar of a doctor. We were able to work together for several weeks here before he graduated, and he impressed me every day. And being that he and his wife are from this area means that he won’t get homesick and should be here for years and years to come. Check out the beginnings of his blog at http://letstalkvision.blogspot.com/
One of the best eye care practices you’ll ever find.
2. Dr. McMahon and the team at EyeWorks. This practice was the reason I moved here in the first place. I honestly didn’t expect to get homesick, but I did. But I’d take this staff anywhere with me because of their dedication to eye care and the patient experience. Dr. McMahon’s passion for optometry will carry this practice in to the future. If you’ve been here before, you’ve probably commented on the difference here. We continuously strive to make the experience better every time and you’d have to drive a long way to find any better eye care technology. I became a better eye doctor during my time here and will always be grateful for that.
1. And last but not least, my incredible friends. I won’t mention any by name, because you know who you are. A circle of friends who were always there for each other and always knew how to have a good time. Words cannot explain how much I will miss you.
So mostly, this was a therapeutic post and thank you if you’ve read this far. I will continue this blog in San Antonio, TX but will need to change the title up top. Any suggestions?
