So, as you know, or maybe you don't, Lake & I are moving to the Dallas area in ONE WEEK! While we're so excited to take on this new chapter of our lives, leaving San Antonio is going to be so hard! Lake has lived here for the past 10 years & I've been here for the past 8 years. That's a long time! San Antonio is our home, so leaving it won't be easy. So before we say "good-bye" to the Alamo City, I wanted to compile my Top 10 of things that I'll miss about San Antonio. So here we go:
10. The Traffic...or lack thereof....
San Antonio is a pretty big city, kinda spread out, but it's nice to just be able to stay in your area without having to travel too far. Other than when there's construction or when there's a drop of rain, traffic in this city is non-existent most of the time. I know that I'm going to miss that, A LOT! I've heard the horror stories of traffic in the DFW area, but I'm mentally preparing myself for it already. I guess the I-10 construction in the DeZavala/Huebner area is just getting me ready....
9. Fiesta Texas Fireworks on I-10
On any given evening during the summer, you can catch the Fiesta Texas fireworks display on I-10 heading west around UTSA to La Cantera around 9:15pm. It's one of my favorite things about SA & about living in Leon Springs. It's always a nice little treat to see as I'm heading home & BAM, they're the fireworks....I'm going to miss that.
**Side note: If you park in the back lot at The Shoppes at La Cantera (around Perry's Steakhouse), you can catch an even better view of the fireworks show. Show up by about 9:05pm & you can catch the entire show, it starts going really "crazy" around 9:15pm.
8. The River Walk
I've been visiting San Antonio since I was a little kid. We used to come up to SA as our "vacation" which I see it now & I'm like, "what did we used to do when we would come?", but the second that I get on the River Walk I remember how cool this city really is! It's just so pretty & busy & just fun! We don't necessarily get ourselves down to the River Walk "proper" all the time, but it's definitely the spot we bring out of town guests to. It's nice to have something like that at our disposal, now I just wish we had taken advantage of it more.
7. Distance From The Valley
I can't even begin to imagine how hard it's going to be living over 9 hours away from my parents, grandfather, aunts, uncles, countless cousins & my best friends in the entire world (might as well be my sisters). Right now, the drive down to the valley is about 4 hours (give or take with traffic & how fast I can get away with). Now, that drive isn't happening, there's no way I'm spending 9 hours in the car, half of it driving on 35 Southbound. Luckily, there's a direct flight to McAllen on American or direct to Harlingen on Southwest. I already miss The Valley so much, losing the ease to get there is going to be rough. Guess that's what FaceTime is for.....
6. My Students!
I've been lucky enough to teach in 3 different districts in the area. I started my career in Boerne ISD at a smaller school. I look back fondly at those years & those students & it makes me smile. I "grew up" a lot during those three years & I'm grateful for the time I spent there. I ended my San Antonio teaching career at Northside ISD teaching students that I never thought I would teach. I'm going to miss the pressure & fun of working on a daily "newscast" with my advanced students, I've learned so much over the past 4 years not only dealing with video/photo editing, but also just a lot from my students. Being a teacher, in my opinion, is one of the hardest jobs in the world! Career wise, I'm not sure what my future holds, will I be back in the classroom?, will I try my hand at something totally different?, at this point, I really don't know. What I do know, is that I'm the person I am today partly because of my amazing students, the good & the bad....and I'm going to miss getting a whole new batch of them every school year.
5. Fiesta!
I can't even deal. Those days in April every year where the entire city comes together for a giant party are some of my favorite days of each year! The food, the festivals, the friends, San Antonio knows how to throw a party, that's for sure. I'm especially going to miss my Shrimp Po-boy from the French Quarter section at NIOSA. I've said it before & I'll say it again, there's a few foods in my life that I miss, like my very favorite Nutella-Banana crepe from the best creperie right across the street from the Eiffel Tower along the River Siene in Paris....my shrimp po-boy definitely falls into that category!
4. THE FOOD
Speaking of food....that's one of major things that I know I'm going to miss about San Antonio! And it's not just the Mexican food! We've discovered plenty of other amazing restaurants that don't have anything to do with Mexican food. I can tie lots of memories with food & restaurants & good times, so maybe that's why this ranks so high on my list...
3. The Junior League of San Antonio
I joined the Junior League of San Antonio (JLSA) during the Spring of 2008. I joined to make friends, quite honestly. During my first 3 years of living in San Antonio I was a busy cheerleading coach who barely had time to do anything outside of my job. So when I left that, I decided I needed to find something to do with my new found extra time. I joined the league with my friend Kathleen & knew only one other person in the JLSA aside from Kathleen. Sitting at my first prospective member meeting I felt slightly inadequate. I was sitting at a table with ladies who all knew each other, I looked at Kathleen & I think both of us were like....ummmmmm, I'm not sure about this anymore. Fast forward 5 years & it's one of the best decisions I've ever made! Not only have I made the friendships & relationships that I wanted to create when I joined, I've become a better person!
The JLSA has not only taught me how to be a better leader, but just a leader in general. I've been out of my comfort zone on numerous occasions, sometimes I was shoved, but in the end, it's always been the best thing for me. I've learned how to work with a whole array of women & I've formed relationships with ladies that I would never have the privilege of knowing outside of the JLSA. And throughout all of this self-growth, I've given back to the city that has given me so much, it's really a perfect combination! I can't thank the JLSA & the ladies of the JLSA enough, I've been changed for the better because of everyone that I've worked/volunteered with, laughed with, or on some occasions cried with (most of the time out of sheer laughter). SO THANK YOU JLSA LADIES! Even though I'll be transferring out soon, the JLSA will always hold a very special place in my heart.
2 & 1. Our Friends & Family
Friends
Short & simple, we're leaving so many amazing people that we've been lucky enough to call friends. Thinking back to 2005, the only people I knew were Mark & Kathleen.....they thought I should meet this guy named Lake, so we did, the rest is history. My friend circle grew by one more with the addition of Lake in my life, & I also got his super awesome roommate Andrew in the deal! Score! I could go through our "friendship history" in the city but that would take a really really long time. Over the course of 8 years I've become friends with some of the most amazing people & then those amazing people started having little people, the circle keeps growing! Aside from my family, my friendships are the most important thing to me & I've been blessed to have such great friends! There's not much more to say other than, I'm going to miss everyone so much! VISIT US!
Family
And yes, this includes our friends that I consider our family. My in-laws live in SA & I'm sad we won't be as close to them. They throw the best bday dinners & it's always nice to go over to their house & spend time with them & hear about all of their adventures around the city. I'm also sad to leave my brother, sister-in-law, niece & nephew. Sure, they'll only be in SA for another year, so this was inevitable, but seeing them on a regular basis for the past 2 years has been priceless. I've seen Maryn go from an adorable toddler to the sweetest little girl, over the course of two years. And we met Hayden when he was only 2 weeks old, now he's a full blown 2 year old kid, who seriously says the most hilarious things! It's been a true pleasure to have them so close, I count my blessings to be given the privilege of being their "Yaya." FaceTime dates are definitely in order! Also, M's bestie, Blythe lives in Dallas, so she's pumped I'm going to be living so close to Miss B!
While good-byes are never easy, I know we'll be visiting the area a lot. I'm very excited to see where this new adventure takes us & who it brings in our lives. We're very blessed to have called San Antonio our home & I'm really looking forward to creating a new home with Lake.
And of course...as in most situations in life, there's an SATC quote for that:
10. The Traffic...or lack thereof....
San Antonio is a pretty big city, kinda spread out, but it's nice to just be able to stay in your area without having to travel too far. Other than when there's construction or when there's a drop of rain, traffic in this city is non-existent most of the time. I know that I'm going to miss that, A LOT! I've heard the horror stories of traffic in the DFW area, but I'm mentally preparing myself for it already. I guess the I-10 construction in the DeZavala/Huebner area is just getting me ready....
9. Fiesta Texas Fireworks on I-10
On any given evening during the summer, you can catch the Fiesta Texas fireworks display on I-10 heading west around UTSA to La Cantera around 9:15pm. It's one of my favorite things about SA & about living in Leon Springs. It's always a nice little treat to see as I'm heading home & BAM, they're the fireworks....I'm going to miss that.
 |
| enjoying the fireworks at the La Cantera parking lot one warm summer night |
8. The River Walk
I've been visiting San Antonio since I was a little kid. We used to come up to SA as our "vacation" which I see it now & I'm like, "what did we used to do when we would come?", but the second that I get on the River Walk I remember how cool this city really is! It's just so pretty & busy & just fun! We don't necessarily get ourselves down to the River Walk "proper" all the time, but it's definitely the spot we bring out of town guests to. It's nice to have something like that at our disposal, now I just wish we had taken advantage of it more.
 |
I can't even begin to imagine how hard it's going to be living over 9 hours away from my parents, grandfather, aunts, uncles, countless cousins & my best friends in the entire world (might as well be my sisters). Right now, the drive down to the valley is about 4 hours (give or take with traffic & how fast I can get away with). Now, that drive isn't happening, there's no way I'm spending 9 hours in the car, half of it driving on 35 Southbound. Luckily, there's a direct flight to McAllen on American or direct to Harlingen on Southwest. I already miss The Valley so much, losing the ease to get there is going to be rough. Guess that's what FaceTime is for.....
I've been lucky enough to teach in 3 different districts in the area. I started my career in Boerne ISD at a smaller school. I look back fondly at those years & those students & it makes me smile. I "grew up" a lot during those three years & I'm grateful for the time I spent there. I ended my San Antonio teaching career at Northside ISD teaching students that I never thought I would teach. I'm going to miss the pressure & fun of working on a daily "newscast" with my advanced students, I've learned so much over the past 4 years not only dealing with video/photo editing, but also just a lot from my students. Being a teacher, in my opinion, is one of the hardest jobs in the world! Career wise, I'm not sure what my future holds, will I be back in the classroom?, will I try my hand at something totally different?, at this point, I really don't know. What I do know, is that I'm the person I am today partly because of my amazing students, the good & the bad....and I'm going to miss getting a whole new batch of them every school year.
5. Fiesta!
I can't even deal. Those days in April every year where the entire city comes together for a giant party are some of my favorite days of each year! The food, the festivals, the friends, San Antonio knows how to throw a party, that's for sure. I'm especially going to miss my Shrimp Po-boy from the French Quarter section at NIOSA. I've said it before & I'll say it again, there's a few foods in my life that I miss, like my very favorite Nutella-Banana crepe from the best creperie right across the street from the Eiffel Tower along the River Siene in Paris....my shrimp po-boy definitely falls into that category!
 |
| shrimp po-boy...mmmmm.... |
4. THE FOOD
Speaking of food....that's one of major things that I know I'm going to miss about San Antonio! And it's not just the Mexican food! We've discovered plenty of other amazing restaurants that don't have anything to do with Mexican food. I can tie lots of memories with food & restaurants & good times, so maybe that's why this ranks so high on my list...
3. The Junior League of San Antonio
I joined the Junior League of San Antonio (JLSA) during the Spring of 2008. I joined to make friends, quite honestly. During my first 3 years of living in San Antonio I was a busy cheerleading coach who barely had time to do anything outside of my job. So when I left that, I decided I needed to find something to do with my new found extra time. I joined the league with my friend Kathleen & knew only one other person in the JLSA aside from Kathleen. Sitting at my first prospective member meeting I felt slightly inadequate. I was sitting at a table with ladies who all knew each other, I looked at Kathleen & I think both of us were like....ummmmmm, I'm not sure about this anymore. Fast forward 5 years & it's one of the best decisions I've ever made! Not only have I made the friendships & relationships that I wanted to create when I joined, I've become a better person!
The JLSA has not only taught me how to be a better leader, but just a leader in general. I've been out of my comfort zone on numerous occasions, sometimes I was shoved, but in the end, it's always been the best thing for me. I've learned how to work with a whole array of women & I've formed relationships with ladies that I would never have the privilege of knowing outside of the JLSA. And throughout all of this self-growth, I've given back to the city that has given me so much, it's really a perfect combination! I can't thank the JLSA & the ladies of the JLSA enough, I've been changed for the better because of everyone that I've worked/volunteered with, laughed with, or on some occasions cried with (most of the time out of sheer laughter). SO THANK YOU JLSA LADIES! Even though I'll be transferring out soon, the JLSA will always hold a very special place in my heart.
2 & 1. Our Friends & Family
Friends
Short & simple, we're leaving so many amazing people that we've been lucky enough to call friends. Thinking back to 2005, the only people I knew were Mark & Kathleen.....they thought I should meet this guy named Lake, so we did, the rest is history. My friend circle grew by one more with the addition of Lake in my life, & I also got his super awesome roommate Andrew in the deal! Score! I could go through our "friendship history" in the city but that would take a really really long time. Over the course of 8 years I've become friends with some of the most amazing people & then those amazing people started having little people, the circle keeps growing! Aside from my family, my friendships are the most important thing to me & I've been blessed to have such great friends! There's not much more to say other than, I'm going to miss everyone so much! VISIT US!
Family
And yes, this includes our friends that I consider our family. My in-laws live in SA & I'm sad we won't be as close to them. They throw the best bday dinners & it's always nice to go over to their house & spend time with them & hear about all of their adventures around the city. I'm also sad to leave my brother, sister-in-law, niece & nephew. Sure, they'll only be in SA for another year, so this was inevitable, but seeing them on a regular basis for the past 2 years has been priceless. I've seen Maryn go from an adorable toddler to the sweetest little girl, over the course of two years. And we met Hayden when he was only 2 weeks old, now he's a full blown 2 year old kid, who seriously says the most hilarious things! It's been a true pleasure to have them so close, I count my blessings to be given the privilege of being their "Yaya." FaceTime dates are definitely in order! Also, M's bestie, Blythe lives in Dallas, so she's pumped I'm going to be living so close to Miss B!
While good-byes are never easy, I know we'll be visiting the area a lot. I'm very excited to see where this new adventure takes us & who it brings in our lives. We're very blessed to have called San Antonio our home & I'm really looking forward to creating a new home with Lake.
And of course...as in most situations in life, there's an SATC quote for that:
"After all, things change, so do cities, people come into your life and they go. But it's comforting to know that the ones you love are always in your heart... and if you're very lucky, a plane ride away"
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