Status Update: Travel Fatigue and Settling In

Greetings, friends. J and I are back in the land of the living now that things are finally slowing down. We've tried to squeeze so much during the past ten days and it's all been great fun, but we are TIRED.

After sixteen hours of driving last Wednesday and Thursday, we made it to San Antonio very late Thursday night and engaged in a hurried but ultimately fruitless apartment search Friday morning. Frustrated but short on time, we caught our flight to DC the same day and crashed with our friends, DB and VG, who were kind enough to pick us up from Dulles. J and I slept for eleven straight hours. Can't remember the last time we did that. The drive from Denver to San Antonio was a lot of fun, but it took a lot out of us. I don't know if we're just getting old or if it was our car's finicky steering wheel, but we were exhausted and it's taken us awhile to recover.

On the road in New Mexico

BBQ pit stop

Still, we were able to spend a great weekend in Virginia eating and catching up with friends. Jerusalem Restaurant in Falls Church was some of the best Mediterranean/Middle Eastern food I've ever had, while Hank's Oyster Bar in Alexandria didn't disappoint. Also met up with my fabulous friend and former Specter colleague, MM, for some sushi. Love that girl.

Pic courtesy of MM

But now, we're back in the Lone Star State. J's been adjusting to his new work environment and to being the FNG, while I've been working from wherever we've set up camp. We spent the last few nights in Visiting Officers Quarters at Lackland Air Force Base, though we've now moved to a Hyatt due to a lack of space available--something about basic training graduation (lots of young Airmen sweating in their spiffy new uniforms and sporting spiffy BCGs*) and a 40th reunion of security force retirees (they kicked me out of the conference room in which I was working). J and I are now within walking distance of San Antonio's famed Riverwalk, which is pretty fun, but I actually do like staying on base: lots of open space, the commissary is only a short distance from the VOQ, and I feel completely safe and at ease taking long walks there. I received some strange looks while carrying groceries from the commissary given that everyone has a car (I can hear them saying "Poor, poor dependent--why does her husband make her walk everywhere?"), but whatevs.

Nose art

Scenes from Lackland

The good news is...we found an apartment yesterday! Unfortunately, we can't move in until April 1st, but it's still a huge relief that we've secured long-term housing. Our apartment complex is located in the Pearl district, a newly developed area centered on an old brewery. The area is full of cute restaurants and is within walking distance of the Riverwalk and a yoga studio. The apartment itself has new appliances, polished concrete floors, a balcony, washer/dryer included, etc. etc. etc. We're really excited. More to come but for now, we're off to Austin for an evening with friends. Happy Friday y'all!

*Birth control goggles