Florida...Forever?

Funny how your life can change with just one simple statement
that begins with, "We were wondering if John might
be interested in a job..."

P L A N S

You'd think I would know by now that plans never go according to plan. I've always been fairly open to new things, whether they are exciting, boring, new or old. I thought John and I would live here in Florida for 3 years--five years max. Knowing that our three years was almost up, I had already begun to detach myself.

I haven't tried too hard to make friends. I haven't planted anything in our front lawn. I decided that I hate Naples. I decided that the drive to Immokalee is torture. We haven't wanted to buy furniture because we'd just have to move it thousands of miles soon...

But that may never happen now.

So what did I do today? As I walked my class back to class from recess, I appreciated the palm trees. The cool breeze and warm air. The fact that I wasn't wearing a coat, or even a sweater. The young egret that crosses our path every now and then. And as I tried to explain the meaning of the word "lamp" and "lightbulb" to my second-language learning students, I thought, "Maybe this is the place for me."

I took a walk through the woods/swamp that lie just outside our home--woods I was too scared to go into before. Now I am a Floridian. Now I can't be scared of silly things like alligators, black bears, and God-only-knows what kind of snakes, insects, and reptiles.

I heard a noise, like something HUGE falling/climbing one of the trees above me. Looking up, I saw a little black and white bird with a red helmet (a woodpecker!) pecking his little brains out to get his dinner. I stood there, watching, reminded of my Grandpa Harrington and my dad, with their telescope, and how I used to watch the birds outside in Marshallville, Ohio.

No matter where I am and no matter where I go, I will always think of the people back home. Ohio will always be home to me.