[Begin ramble]
My wife and I leave Portland, OR, on the 14th of September. That is a month away! It has not quite hit me yet that I am about to experience a major life transition. I guess this is because it seems natural. Well, most of it. Several people have commented on how odd it is for them to think of me as a Texan. I remind them that I will be a Californian living in Texas like I have been a Californian living in Oregon. No one is buying it.
I will miss many of the people I have met in Oregon, but I won’t miss Oregon. I never felt at home here. It is too rainy. It is too cold. The “Portlandia” culture tries too hard. (“Keep Portland Weird” sounds lame to someone who lived in San Francisco where no effort was needed.) If I were more of an outdoors person I think I would have enjoyed it more. I am a city person though. I am glad we moved into downtown Portland for our last year here. It made things much more enjoyable.
I don’t know how I will “fit” in Texas, but being near family will be a major upgrade. Holidays have been difficult. There is nothing like being alone as a couple on a day like Thanksgiving. Now that we will be near my wife’s family this should change a bit.
Also, I have been told by many that San Antonio is a great city. I am sure I will enjoy the sunshine, the river walk, the ethnic diversity (not found in Portland), Spurs games, and football rivalries Texas-style.
I know there is no where on earth (save maybe Paris, Rome, and Jerusalem) that I will appreciate and enjoy as much as San Francisco. It will always be “home” for me. I hope that someday we will return there. If not, I will always have the memories and I know I can visit.
This Sunday is our last Sunday at our local church–Grace Bible. I have taught a class there for about a year and a half–first on the Gospel of John then a “big picture” introduction to the Bible. My wife was part of the worship team. It was nice to be part of a community where we could contribute. We enjoyed our time there.
My last day as an employee at Western Seminary in the 12th of September. I know there are people scrambling for my job (enrollment counselor). It is a good one, but I am walking away at the right time. It is the type of job that has a ticking clock for someone like me. It was a great job for a student. My co-workers have been wonderful. I will miss the people, but not the day-to-day tasks.
Ah, transitions.
This feels like a good time to quote Tom Petty from his song, ‘Learning to Fly,’ where he says, “I started out for God knows where/I guess I’ll know when I get there.”
In the meantime, no, I don’t have a job lined up in San Antonio. Thank you to those who have sent me leads or places to look online. I remain open to suggestions!
[End ramble]
the archives near Emmaus 
I am so blessed to have travelled the world and yet still call my boyhood home, home. I have studied here and now I get to work here. I can’t imagine anything better. All the best as you endeavour to make SA your new home.
As for SF, I have been there. It is good but I suspect it is even better for you because it is home!
Indeed, I will always have an appreciation of SF that can’t be matched with a visit. Sadly, it s super expensive to live there! 😦 and the pace of life doesn’t work for me where I am at in life.
Lol, I sincerely think you would’ve had an easier transition if you had planned on moving to Austin or here in Houston. I can feel your sentiment about being a Californian living in Texas to be true. Quite honestly when I lived in California I never once saw myself as one. It is quite true that the big 3 snob states are California, Texas, and New York. These are the groups of people that I will hear constant arguments from in Bible College, now secular college, and at any lounge or bar I visit about which state is the best. I add the last one because Houston has seen a 7% increase in population I suspect many of these are Californians and east Coasters. Why, because I run into them so much now its not surprising as it was five years ago when I moved back. I suspect you will always feel a little out of place as I did in Nor Cal but the one cultural thing I can say about the south that will make it easier; is we are friendly. You will find friends quick here especially with family connections. Nor Cal suspicious culture made finding friends like pulling teeth lol! Well welcome to the south I have no doubt you will be very surprised by the south because the larger cities are not the stereo types you will expect.
It is possible, though I do like San Antonio more than Houston from my short visits to both. Houston was a little too large; it was a little too LA sprawl. Remember, SF is 7×7 miles. I heard San Antonio is spreading like a wild fire. In twenty years if we don’t run out of fossil fuel the two cities might become neighbors!
As a northern Californian I bring my culture of suspicion with me. It took a while for me to warm up to the Oregonians who became my friend (mostly because I was convinced that anyone who lives north of Redding, CA, and south of Seattle, WA, was backwoods weirdos…partially true). I have a higher view of San Antonio because my wife is from there. I didn’t know what to expect when moving to PDX and I never quite got why Portlanders think it is such a utopia. It is a less of a city than San Francisco and not much better a wilderness than Marin county. Yes, I retain my northern California bias!
Brian – I appreciate your regionalism, and commitment to NoCal and the accompanying disdain (albeit mild) for other regions. This will give you an affinity with Texans – though they/we will never (obviously) accept you as a Texan.:-)
I have been told that unless someone is born in Texas they are never accepted as a Texan!
P.S. My regionalism is so strong I don’t acknowledge southern California as the same place in the world, save maybe San Diego, it is nice there. 😉
Brain said ” … mostly because I was convinced that anyone who lives north of Redding, CA, and south of Seattle, WA, was backwoods weirdos…partially true”
Does this suspicion only travel north/south, or east/west as well? How does this work; is the coefficient of backwoods weirdos directly related to distance from Redding? If so, by those standards Vancouverites must be completely weird and backwoodsy (or are Canadians except), and Alaskans way off the charts?
‘exempt’ not ‘except’
That’s funny, because as a Southern Californian (which I always will be no matter how long we live in Portland/Vancouver, argh), I have never considered anything north of the grapevine as California, even if Sacramento is the capitol 😉 . I understand, though your sentiment ,Brian about always being a Californian (btw, my motherland is Long Beach, CA).
Andrew
I don’t know enough about the Canadians. I’ve never been to Alaska. In general, I tend to limit my bias to matters of west coast culture, though now my experience will broaden a bit.
Bobby
That is how corrupt the Los Angeles area can be: it deceives people into not recognizing one of the most beautiful cities in the world….San Francisco! 😉
I might be willing to give San Francisco special audience, but other than that my belief still stands. 🙂 The two halves of California (North V. South) are so distinct, that they seem like to different States within the one. But Texas, on the other hand, is like a whole other Country; at least that’s what I hear 😉 .
Texas was the only state ‘asked to join the Union’ (by the federal government … as a hedge against continued Spainish Imperialism). All other states asked to join.
Accordingly, all other states had to meet certain conditions when they joined the union, except in Texas’ case the federal government did. The condition the federal government had to meet was to guarantee Texas the defacto right to cede from the Union should it ever wish; which the federal government did. Texas stays in the union volunarily – no other state has this right.
Effectively Texas is another country …
i resonate a lot with the final line by tom petty…
Brian – I lived in San Antonio for 12 years and loved it. You’ll love the people and Whataburger, Bill Miller’s BBQ and Taco Cabana. Check out Max Lucado’s church too. And, yes, they do accept people not born in Texas. God bless, Eric
Eric
I had Bill Miller’s when I visited in 2009 and it was great!
You’re moving to San Antonio? Nice. My older brother lives there! He’s also been pestering me to come and visit (and possibly live there) for a while. If I do, I’ll let you know!
Hope all is going well with the whole moving process; I’ve moved 7 times in the past 3 years and know that it is not fun.
Also, you’ll still be writing for Near Emmaus, right?
Jeremy
It’s unfortunate that we couldn’t meet while I lived in PDX! If you are in the city before I leave let me know. Yes, I will continue to blog here! I began this blog in May 2005 when I was living in Stockton, CA. It has had a few different names, but it has become a outlet for my writing that I hope to maintain for a very long time.
Good to hear! And I’ll be sure to let you know.