One Box at a Time

We are officially in the single-digit countdown to be together as a family in Hawaii. There have been so many highs and lows in this journey that it's hard to believe we are finished with one chapter and starting a new one. What little belongings we have left to start this new life with a fresh outlook we are sending one box at a time across the big blue. The poor mailman is going to hate us for the next couple of weeks. 

I'm sad to leave Oklahoma. This has been everything I've ever known but I'm so excited for this new adventure. There are so many lessons I hope this teaches our children.   I want them to know that sometimes life is out of your control. You can do everything right and things might still go awry. That doesn't mean this is a failure. You can turn any situation into a good one if you have the right mindset and you take the opportunities that you're presented. Lean on your faith, believe in the good and let life lead you. I want them to learn that what one person believes is success and the American dream is not the same as the next person. 

For some people, the American dream is a single-family home on a quarter acre of land with 2.5 children, a dog, a mortgage, a career, newish cars and a busy schedule. For someone else, the American dream is traveling the world with no limitations, hopping from city to city: no kids, new ideals of what marriage entails, a job that takes them far and requires much of their free time. Still someone else might believe that the American dream is living a gypsy life: a tiny home with minimal furniture, lots of adventures and the ability to spread your wings at a moment's notice. Who am I to say that any of these dreams are wrong?

I have loved living in Oklahoma with it's wide-open spaces, friendly people and that feeling of home. I'm excited for Hawaii because although there aren't the wide-open spaces, there's plenty else to explore. So we're leaving our roots in Oklahoma, we're spreading our wings, and we're teaching the kids to fly.