New in Town: Mourning in the Country

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Any of you ever see the movie ‘New in Town’ starring Renee Zellweger and Harry Connick, Jr.? Moving to Charleston is starting to feel like that, except without the snow. In the movie, Zellweger’s character is a sophisticated, career-minded woman from Miami who suddenly finds herself in a small town in Minnesota. Now maybe I stopped being career-driven a couple of years ago but I am starting to feel like a fish out of water. Maybe I’ll feel more like I fit in once I meet a few people.

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So we’re homeowners! And owning a home means never-ending work on the house. Even if the house is newish. There are things to clean, junk to put away, yard to fix up, walls to eventually repaint. For the last three weeks, all I’ve done is clean, unpack, and apply for jobs. I definitely need something else to do.

We moved to Johns Island, which used to be pretty rural until a few years ago when they started developing it. There’s not a whole lot on here yet aside from a few really great hipster restaurants, a Food Lion, McDonald’s, two CVSes, a Wells Fargo branch, a couple of CrossFit boxes, and an Anytime Fitness. I recently saw a sign announcing they were going to build a Harris Teeter. It’s like South Carolina’s equivalent of Publix (except not as good). There is also Publix here though not on Johns Island. I was sad to realize no one really knew they were from Florida here when I walked in there a week ago and told everyone who worked there I wanted a Pub Sub because I was homesick (bread be damned). Pub Subs are a Florida point of pride.

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Me in my back porch that backs on to some woods.

It’s funny how when you leave home you can suddenly become really protective of it. Call me the head of the Florida Tourism Board because I have not said a foul thing about my home state since I arrived here.

Anyway, I need to find work because this little blog is not paying the bills yet. Though maybe someday it could. The type of stuff I was doing in Florida isn’t as common up here, so I apply to jobs and get ignored by jobs. But I’m feeling really good about one that I just applied for. Just feels like my time to shine to has finally arrived!

And not a minute too soon because since moving here three weeks ago, all three of my remaining grandparents have passed away. That’s right three grandparents gone in three weeks. It’s been rougher on me that I’ve really wanted to let on. I had a little something of each of them and to lose them all at the same time it kind of feels like maybe they thought their task here was done. I’m married and doing grown-up things but I still wasn’t ready. Anyway, if grandparents really can put in a good word for you in heaven I think mine certainly did I’ve been blessed beyond measure in the last year. (Hope to update this soon with a picture of my Grandma Dolores as well, who passed away yesterday in Cuba)

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Grandma and Grandpa Urbay bringing home my Uncle. My grandfather died two weeks after Grandma on June 15th.

I now have a gym membership and the internet so I should be a lot more inspired to write. If you’re one of my Florida peeps reading this know that I miss you much! And everyone should know to expect new articles from me once again every Monday and Thursday. If you’re the praying sort, also shoot your girl some prayers for much prosperity and a wicked cool job. Until Monday, catch me on Twitter and Instagram!

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Author: Grace G.

New Mom and Retired Lawyer trying to share the ride.

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