The Good and The Bad

We have now been in Iowa two whole weeks. There have been lots of good things and some difficult things.

The good things:
1. I am really enjoying getting to know my new colleagues. We'll see if I still like the job once the students show up :-)
2. People are really friendly and welcoming. We left behind so many good friends that our hearts were hurting a bit as we drove west. Having so many friendly faces waiting for us has helped make the transition easier.
3. The weather has been absolutely wonderful. After miserable summer weather in June and July (at least back in Holland), it has been lovely to be able to enjoy being outside.
4. We've had some good family time since we got here. Living in a house that is less than 1,000 square feet means we get to spend a lot of time together. Soon school will begin and the kids will be involved with friends and school activities, but for now I am enjoying this time.

The difficult things:
1. Because our house in Holland hasn't sold yet, we have not bought a house here in Sioux Center. Right now we are living in a small rented house. It is a very cozy, pleasant home. It is also in a great location and the rent is reasonable. However, it recently sold so we will have to find another place to live soon.
2. We feel like we are bleeding money. Getting established in a new place is expensive. The kids are starting at new schools and we have had to pay 10% of their tuition up front. Eventually we'll get some tuition assistance, but for now we had to pay 10% of the full bill. We had to renew the plates on my car since they expire on my birthday. This cost about three times what it would have cost in Michigan. Perhaps Michigan is trying to encourage car ownership? We also switched to a new health insurance plan and maxed out Maria's deductable and entire out-of-pocket costs right off the bat. The insurance year starts over in January so we will get to do that again in just a few months. We'll likely get some assistance through the state with medical costs similar to the Children's Special Health Care plan that we had in Michigan, but I learned today that getting that in place could take another 6 months.

The good list is longer than the bad list, but the things on the bad list sure can keep you up at night.