...I've been in Texas for ages, and not just the two weeks it truly has been. This past week has been fun, exhausting and frustrating, sometimes independently and sometimes in combination.
Sunday I left for Austin, ready for three days of training. The drive was a little over three hours, and pleasant enough. I saw some more of the Texan countryside -- very few hills, and a whole lot of cows. Upon arrival, our first order of business was to mingle, and eat. The five of us flanking one end of a table quickly deemed it the "fun table," encouraged by two bottles of wine and the clamor of personality.
The five of us pretty much stuck together throughout the rest of training -- a casual wine and cheese party after dinner (enter the nerdiness), trivia night at Fado, an Irish pub downtown (we didn't come in last, and that's all that mattered -- we aim high!), and "family dinner" at a really expensive sushi place (oops, and yummmm).
Training was informative, and really helpful for me, but loooong. One session was four hours, straight through, with just a five-minute bathroom break in the middle. In any case, I returned ready to hit the ground running. Yesterday morning I described myself to Stephanie, the United Way director, as a windup toy cranked up and ready to roll.
Apparently, though, I should have been more cautious. I hit a wall on Thursday, built in part by my own brashness and in part by others' resistance. It's a complicated issue, and it makes me wonder what exactly my role is down here. I guess I don't know yet -- I'm not sure when I'll know -- and that bothers me. I hate feeling useless, feeling that I can't really take any initiative, can't start moving toward the changes that need to be made.
It's going to be an interesting year, that's for certain. I went shopping today to blow off some steam. Jorge got a stylish new tote to travel in, and I got some skirts and tops for the warm days now and to come.
And when I need a break, I'll be in Galveston to visit Maggie, Luke, and Denver (and Paul, if he comes down). And, of course, they're all invited to the pool house to play Trivial Pursuit -- once it gets here. Madre mailed it out today, per the request of my crazy Gulf coast friends. Who knows, maybe next time we go to pub trivia night, we'll not only not come in last, we'll rock it out like nobody has ever seen.
Much love from Texas.
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