I had to search my photos forever to find something Temple related, ha! It's not the prettiest city. This is the old Santa Fe Train Depot near downtown, which is now a museum and, well, still a train station.
Somehow a year has passed since we moved to Temple. Well, a year in some days. We moved here June 1st. It both feels like just yesterday and a million years ago. Our life in Austin seems very distant and unfamiliar, mostly because when we were there we were carefree and childless. What is that? Temple has been all about baby. Preggo for half, new parents for half.
Y'all all know, I hated Temple when we moved here. Hated it. I kinda blame months of morning sickness which began I swear, the week we moved up. But I also blame Temple, because it does suck a little. ;) I wouldn't say I love living here now, but there are things about it that I like. It was the perfect place to have a baby. Quiet, easy, affordable, full of kind folks and little old ladies and men who love babies. Really a decent place to spend 75% of your time never leaving the house. It's been good to us, which is convenient as we've got at least another year here ahead of us. Silent scream/sigh of relief? I go back and forth. Every day is grows on me. And seriously you'd never think it, but Temple is booming. SO many new businesses have opened just since we've been here and there are a ton more on the way. There are like twice as many places to eat now! Places to eat have a big influence on my appreciation of a place. Probably why I loved Austin so much.
The town is still and will probably always be terrifyingly conservative and very much like what you'd imagine a Texas town would be like socially. I feel very much out of place when things like politics or religion come up. Don't get me started on all the bumper stickers. Terrible place to live if you're vegetarian. Which saves us moola. We are also far younger than most of the citizens. By like 30 years. BUT as with southern towns, most folks are endearingly kind and polite. Which is refreshing. Everyone is very nice. Unless you're a minority. I kid, I kid! (Kinda.)
No one can drive (or park) worth a damn, but getting across town still just takes ten minutes. And there's NO TRAFFIC. We still love our little apartment and all the lovely folks that live in our complex. I've never met my neighbors anywhere I've lived, but this small town thing y'all. Our neighbors gave us baby gifts. We don't even know these people! It's crazy and kinda sweet. I legit think they'd give me a cup of sugar if I asked. I won't because strangers scare me and I'm never short on sugar, but it's a nice thought.
The VA where Brendon works is really the best thing we could have imagined. We could not have planned it better. Everyone there is soooooo nice and kind and family friendly. Every time I go visit him I am swamped with smiles and hugs and boy do they looove Indiana. I'm glad we're here for another year, if for no other reason than Brendon gets to keep working where he is. And the thought of moving to a new city again and resettling with a 4 month old is kind of terrifying. Thankful that we are not!
So YES, I am ready to be staying another year. Would I rather be in Austin with my fellow liberal weirdos? Maybe. Well, let's be real, yes. Could we afford it? Maybe not. I really do think this is the right place for us at the moment. And we're helping to spice Temple up a little! It needs a little weird.
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