Tuesday, October 3, 2023

In a Different Place

 For those that used to follow this blog, it has been several years since I posted anything!  We have been through so many changes, it's hard to put into words all that has happened!  We no longer have any cows, calves, or bulls!  Which actually makes me sad as I still miss them! It's now been almost 3 years since we sold everything and moved back to the panhandle area of Texas.  The move was for the spouse's job as his company decided they wanted him to be in the company office.  We moved back to Canyon, which is where we lived before moving to east Texas in 2012 to start that new adventure known as ranching.

While in east Texas, I was able to get my real estate license and started on yet another new adventure.  It took a while to get things going but things had started picking up.  I was licensed in 2016 and was still working my full time job at Southwest Dairy Museum.  After a year, my spouse and I agreed that I could go into the real estate profession full time.  I worked hard to help my clients with their real estate needs and had some great opportunities to help!  All of that to say that in 2020, we made the decision to relocate back to the panhandle for my spouse's job.  So we found a place, got it purchased, and moved in January of 2021.

It was an interesting time as the weather was as unpredictable as ever!  Thunderstorms, tornadoes, then Mother Nature said "Watch this!!!".  Snow fall and temperatures came in that hadn't been seen all over the state of Texas in many years, and in some areas NEVER!  It was definitely historic!  But we made it through and began the process of settling in.  For those of you that have moved away from a place, then moved back - the phrase "You can never really go home" is true! Although we knew (and know) a lot of people from here, we were gone long enough that reconnecting does not come easy. Though we have renewed friendships with some, we still feel like newcomers to the area in some ways.  

I found a great real estate broker, who is also a friend.  Rebuilding a real estate business is definitely NOT for the faint of heart!  The market was saturated with real estate agents with no inventory when I started back here.  And though the market has stabilized some here, it is still highly saturated with agents and not enough business for all.  

One thing that I did get to begin is volunteering at Palo Duro Canyon State Park's Visitor's Center!  I love being out there, meeting the people who come through and introducing them to this beautiful part of our area!  The statement is almost always made - "I never knew this was here!" or "This is beautiful and SO unexpected for here!".  Plus - I get to meet people from everywhere in the world!  We've had Australians, New Zealanders, Germans, Scottish, Irish, Japanese, Swiss, English - just to name a few! It is always a fun time and I love being there!

Thanks for reading.  I would love to hear from you!