a chance for change.

after 30 excruciating hours in the car, we finally made it here to Maxwell AFB!

we stayed at our cousins' house the first night and loved it!

they are actually my best friend kaitlyn's brother and sister-in-law, but since i am now an

averett, they happen to be my cousins!

that is so cool to me! :)

anyway, we had a good time catching up with them.

the next night we stayed in some little run-down hotel in memphis.

it didn't look run-down on the internet, but let me tell you, looks can be deceiving!

we seemed to manage though.

there's no need for anything more than a bed when i've got my cute boy sleepin' next to me.

the next day it was only five more hours {that felt like a breeze!} of driving and we made it to Montgomery.

while driving in, i became a little nervous of the big city.

there are freeways, buildings, and one-way streets everywhere!

i remember being so anxious about how big everything was when we stopped in memphis.

i found myself looking over my shoulder every couple minutes for some dude with a knife.

or saying a silent prayer that when we got back to our car, it would be all in one piece.

it was a relief being able to just leave the next day.

while staying here though, i have nowhere else to go!

to help with this, zachary and i have spent the last two days just driving around,

catching a glimpse of what the south is all about.

it has been simply delightful!

when you hear the words:

{southern hospitality}

 that is no exaggeration.

people that you have never met are so nice, so friendly, and so excited to

learn about your life!

it's sad to say, but it feels so unnatural.

i don't remember ever feeling like that much in the last 11 years living in utah,

let alone being like that.

so, that is what i am going to do.

from now on, i am stepping out of this shy, invisible bubble that has been around me

since before i can remember.

the one that has been keeping me from meeting so many people with something good to offer.

so...no more awkward silences as i am standing in line at the grocery store.

no more trying to find a seat in public that will keep me secluded from unwanted company.

and certainly, no more trying my best to avoid eye contact from a passerby.

this is goal of mine.

put into writing.

a goal for change and improvement.

i will be sure to let you know how this turns out.

wish me luck!

-the wife