So here we are in these new state, and new surroundings in our temporary home after our first full night. There was a Dairy Queen right across the street from the shelter so the night before after we finished our shower and naps we ended up walking over there to get food. The next morning/day was surely to be a busy one. This would be the day we would have to start trying to navigate our surroundings and attempt to start "life". I knew I would have to collect information about the school systems, elementary and high school, the transportation system, and so much more. I also needed to meet with the director of the shelter to get all of the paperwork filled out, get a tour of the shelter and the rules and regulations. Just the things that come with moving to a new area. I was nervous but also excited to start this new journey officially!
After a few days, I remember waking up to hearing some loud scrapping out the windows, I would hear this almost every morning since we had been there, I finally looked out the window and saw that it was the people shoveling snow. WOW. I had never been in a place where someone had to actually shovel snow. Looking out the window at the white snow and the sun shining down on it was actually a beautiful site. I remember making a Facebook post saying, " Waking up to the sound of snow outside my window, I could get used to this" That sparked a lot of questions and messages to my inbox, which was fine with me, I knew I would share with whom I wanted to and simply ignore the rest (just kidding, if i did ignore you it wasn't on purpose)! It was just a lot of adjusting to do. By now I had finally gotten the kids settled and ready to start school, I had gotten all the needed paperwork done for the shelter, I had also started getting other needed information and forms transferred from one state to another. I was feeling quite accomplished. I had also started familiarizing myself with the bus system and a few places in town. Things were seeming to go pretty good.
The shelter we stayed in well as I like to call it our mini apartment did not have a small kitchen inside each room, but we had like two community kitchens that was where we could take turns to cook. For as long as we were there, there was never an issue with using it or needing it and it not being available. There was also a community room with a TV and play are for kids, a laundromat that each family had an assigned day to use and a few other amenities to help make shelter life a little easier for each family. There was a sort of like a curfew where unless we had work or something already pre-approved, we needed to be in our room at a certain time, and they did come around to check. To some that was weird or a problem, but to me personally I had no issues with it.
The elementary school was a nice small school, I think it only had like 3 grades in that one. Something like K-2 or K-3. That was nice, the teachers, principal and all seemed very friendly and welcoming, and there was a nice "variety" of kids! The high school was also very nice, it was newly built, like within the last 2 years or so. It was 9th -12th grade, had multiple floors, nice sitting and eating areas for the students and offered some nice extra-curricular activities. Those teachers, counselors, and principals also seemed very nice and welcoming. I'm not sure, if its because they knew of our situation and that we were new to the area, or they were just honestly good hearted, welcoming people, either way, it was nice to see such friendly faces, and be treated so nicely. Now both kiddos are in school, bus transportation has been set up, mom is getting into the swing of things and getting things done on my end, shelter life is not so bad, we're randomly meeting new people here and there , finally cooking again and making our own meals, things are finally starting to feel as normal as normal can get given the circumstances. Little by little things seemed to be falling in line, and we were slowly adjusting to the weather, new school, new scenery and all that this little town had to offer!. For a moment I felt like I could finally take a deep breath and let my guard down, little did I know that was only the calm before the storm!
Another great post. Your writing is truly a blessing and excellent. Looking forward to more of your Afterlife posts. Your writing style reminds me so much of Trevor Noah's writing style. His memoir Born a Crime was published in November 2016 and I enjoyed his writing style like I am enjoying yours. His book became a No. 1 New York Times Bestseller and was named one of the best books of the year by The New York Times, Newsday, Esquire, NPR, and Booklist. Keep up the good work in Jesus name.