You ever had a plan for your life and God intervenes with something even better? That pretty much sums up our life. Today, I’m going to share how we went from having a whole plan set for our family to now living in Texas and how our journey has been like so far. I’ve gotten asked a few times about what is it like living in Texas, how is it compared to living on the East Coast, why did we move so far away and so much more! I’m going to share briefly about all of this without being longwinded and oversharing but hopefully, it will inspire you to trust the journey and know that God has a way better plan for your life than you do on your own.
What Prompt Us To Move To Texas
So if you have been following me on my vlogging channel, then you know how often we were going to look at houses. We would go to different model homes in different developments to check out the styles, the prices and etc. I mean this was like a weekly/monthly thing for us. Before we started dating, The Big Guy (aka my husband) was looking for a house to move in to. Then I came along and he got serious about buying a home and found the perfect starter home. Shortly after we got married (after many renovations and upgrades), we moved into our home and it was perfect just for us and our baby girl Maddie, who I was pregnant with at the time. Over time, we realized that we needed more space and wanted something in a neighborhood (we lived on a busy street with 18-wheelers and trucks that drove by every day) where there wasn’t constant traffic and Maddie could have neighborhood friends. Plus, we wanted another kid so we knew we needed more space to expand the family.
But overall, we just wanted better for our family. We were living on one income, paycheck to paycheck, debts, and other things. Our first years of marriage were great but we encountered tons of setbacks and the cost of living (for the house and area that we were looking at) was WAY out of our budget with the income we were living on. It was one of those seasons when we didn’t know what was going on or what to do. But we kept the faith, kept speaking life into our situation, and knew in due time something will work out in our favor. So we continued to make the best out of the situation by going to model homes to envision ourselves in what we desired. We loved exploring Baltimore, Annapolis, DC, and surrounding major cities whenever The Big Guy had time off. Even better, we loved being around and seeing family and friends often and just making the best out of this situation.
Although I enjoyed living in Maryland, there was something about southern living and cooking that I missed. I was born and raised in North Carolina so I was missing the south so much for some reason. I remember praying to God a few times about moving down south. After college, I wanted to live in Charlotte, Atlanta, or somewhere in Texas but obviously, God had other plans and wanted me in Maryland. So I would just throw that prayer into the atmosphere and you know, just see what would happen. My husband was not for moving south. There was no way I could convince him to move anywhere passed Northern Virginia. You would think someone like him who has lived and traveled to so many places because of the military he would be okay with moving south, but NOPE! Even showing him big houses in NC or GA for 250K on 3 acres on Zillow didn’t work either LOL.
However, we did agree on moving to PA (York County/across from Baltimore County) area. It was SO nice and would’ve been perfect for us. We actually found THE perfect house that was on the market for MONTHS! We would go up every weekend to look inside (with a realtor of course), discuss what we wanted to change, paint and etc., we would walk and drive around the neighborhood every time to look at who our neighbors would be, we told our family and friends all about this area. Heck, we brought his parents up a few times to check it out with us! Like we literally were speaking this move into existence.
All of the sudden, an opportunity opened up for The Big Guy that required us to move…to Texas! We couldn’t believe it. We were shocked and excited at the same time! This whole time, we were saving and planning for this home in PA and God was like, Nah that ain’t it! And guess what, The Big Guy had to move south so ah-ha *sticks out tongue* LOL!!
Living In Texas and Our Experience So Far
We did a video on my vlogging channel sharing our experience in Texas. I will link it HERE if you’re interested in checking it out. To be honest, it has been a good experience so far! Living in Laredo, TX (South of San Antonio) has been an adventure, to say the least. It is HOT! Whew, it is hot and warm year-round, the culture is definitely different compared to the Baltimore area lol. But overall, the food is amazing (hence the weight gain for both of us), the people are very friendly, and it’s affordable to live in South Texas compared to the homes we were looking at to buy back at home.
When I prayed about moving to Texas (before we knew we would move to Texas), my heart was set on Houston or Dallas. Although we lived in the suburbs of Baltimore, I loved the convenience of having everything we needed and more and places that shopped at often and could be downtown in 15 minutes. Unfortunately, we didn’t end up moving to either of those places. But God had other plans for us and the more things are happening for us, the more I trust His plan and what He is doing for us. Being here, He has literally made so many things possible for us.
We built our first home together here. Like we had more than enough for our down payment, the lot was perfect for us, our mortgage is way cheaper than the townhome we were renting when we first got here. The Big Guy is thriving, moving up pretty fast, and making more money than before. Maddie is excelling in her schooling. Like excelling so much that she was selected to be in the Gifted Program at her school. My business is thriving, y’all! When I was in MD, I was blogging and YouTubing as a hobby. But then, I felt led in my heart to take it seriously and elevate my brand. So I got my LLC and started working it all as a business. I wasn’t as confident in what I was doing because I didn’t know what I was doing, to be honest.
But being here, since it’s been hard finding a job, I’ve been taking my business very seriously and wow things have been working out for me! It feels great to bring in another stream of income and break that paycheck to paycheck cycle we were on. We just have to focus on paying off debts (our cars, student loans and etc) I actually feel more confident in what I’m doing and what I want out of my business. I don’t have many distractions (well except my kids lol) to steer me off focus from my business often. Like, things are prospering for your girl.
Although there have been so many good things that have happened for us, there have been some negatives as well. The lack of diversity, for one. I love and respect everyone. My mother raised me to love and be kind to everyone that I meet and come in contact with. But lawd, I miss hanging and being around Black People. I miss my family and friends, my sorority life, eating African food, listening to trap music and so much more. According to statistics, our area is 95% Hispanic, 4% White, 1% African African..so as you can see it is rare to see people that look like me here. I’ve seen a few sporadically when I go out but it’s not like I can go into this neighborhood or this side of town to find diversity because that’s not the reality here.
I also get a ton of stares when I’m out. I guess since it’s rare to see African-Americans in this city, people may not be used to it I guess? And let me just say the way these Hispanic men stare at me, LIKE STARE lol whew The Big Guy doesn’t like that LOL! Another thing that sucks is being so close to Mexico but was told it was unsafe for us to go over there. Y’all know I love traveling and seeing new places. But we’ve been told on multiple occasions from locals to stay away from crossing over and we have been doing just that, staying away. 🙁
Honestly, the lack of diversity isn’t that big of a problem because like I said I love everyone. But I guess I miss what I was used to and miss doing ratchet things with my friends. But through this isolation, I have grown, I have matured and I have gotten closer to God. You know the saying, “Elevation requires Separation.” That’s the kind of season I feel like I have been in since moving. I’m not into the things I once was into, I obviously don’t party or club anymore and so many more things that I once loved and entertained, I no longer do and I’ve been okay with that.
Seeing what God has done for us makes me want to trust in Him more than I ever have before. I don’t know what lies ahead or what else He will do in this season for us. But one thing for sure is that I trust Him. I have no choice. He has done things for us that we couldn’t do on our strength or on our timing and I want Him to continue doing that.
So What’s Next For The Wise’s In Texas
Honestly, I don’t know what God has in store for us here. To be honest, He has done so much for us and made ways out of no ways that we are truly grateful and humbled by His favor. Right now, we are grateful for the season that we are in and trying our best to keep that attitude of gratitude. If it were up to us, we would like to move to a more built-up area with more conveniences and more things to do near the Gulf. We loved living near water back at home and miss it so much. To be in close proximity to a beach would be the perfect move for us. Corpus Christi, Rio Grande Valley, (maybe Houston #wishfulthinking) or something on that side would be the perfect move and a blessing for us!
Wherever we move to next, we would love to build our longterm home (forever home if we like the area lol…moving is exhausting and expensive y’all). When we do build again, we would love to go with a custom builder/design to build #TheWiseTexasHome of our dreams. We realized how different the home styles are here. Most builders don’t offer the modern farmhouse style that we liked and wanted up north. And if you look at my Pinterest boards, you’ll see the kind of design that we want to go for. So to get that we would have to go with a custom builder. As far as kids, who knows? I think a baby girl would complete our family but that’s up to the man above so we shall see!
Some Encouragement To Make a Move To Texas
I would say pray about it first. You don’t want to make a huge move prematurely without discernment or guidance from God. You don’t want to go on a path that wasn’t meant for you because you think that’s where or what you’re supposed to do. There were plenty of times that I wanted to leave Maryland. It’s not that I didn’t like it. I know I have complained about MD, but honestly, I enjoyed it and learned so much. I got my Master’s Degree there, I learned how to work multiple jobs, how to use the metro, the beltways, about mambo sauce, and Nike boots lol. Like I learned a lot but it just wasn’t somewhere that I thought I would be at, especially be for as long as I was there. 10 years was a long time whew. But obviously, I was there for a reason (met my husband, got my Master’s, started my business, and more) and I made the best of that season! So before you make a major move or decision, pray about it first and make sure it is the right thing to do!
Decide what area you want to live in. This decision is totally up to or wherever you feel in your heart you should be. I know some people move to Dallas because of the job market, it’s a huge metropolitan area with so much to offer and so much more. Some people move to Houston for the job market, to be close to the beach or close to Louisana and so much more. Or some people move to the Rio Grande Valley area (McAllen, Edinburg and etc) to work or be closer to the border. Also, It’s SUPER affordable to live comfortably there and so much more. There are so many reasons why people move to different parts of Texas so that is totally up to you! As stated before, pray about it first. Then decide what area you’ll feel more comfortable at and what you can afford. I know the bigger cities are a little more expensive but you’ll have to do your research and figure out what will work for you!
Just go for it and make the best of it! If you have been thinking about moving to Texas and it has been on your mind for a while, go for it. It is on your mind for a reason and I’m a firm believer that when something is on your mind, it’s probably God trying to get your attention to take a leap into something. As stingy as my husband was about us moving south, I’m glad he put his pride to the side and made that move for the sake of our family. Obviously, God had it planned this whole time…The Big Guy just had to take that leap and go for it. Now, look at us now. So just go for it and make the best of it.
I know I mentioned the lack of diversity but honestly, I love the Hispanic vibes. I grew up near and went to elementary school with a ton of Hispanics. Living in Texas reminds me of my younger days growing up with so many Hispanic friends. I love Spanish music, the AUTHENTIC Mexican food! I’m telling you Chipotle, Moe’s, On The Border, those Mexican chains have NOTHING on the food here! That’s why we have gained weight because it’s worth the extra calories LOL! All in all, I’m slowly learning to adapt and make the best of living in Texas! And you can or should do the same!
I know this was a longggg blog post, but I thought I would share in hopes that it will inspire and encourage you. If you would’ve told us when we first got married that this would be our life, I would’ve given you a major side-eye and would’ve called crazy! But like I mentioned, God had a whole plan for us and it was better than what we wanted for ourselves. So I encourage you to trust His plan, even when you don’t understand. It might not make sense to you but TRUST me when I say, it makes all the sense in the world to Him. When He tells you to go or opens a door for you, don’t question it or negotiate with it. Just go and trust that He will guide your every footstep. I know it because we are testaments of that! Are you planning to move to Texas? What part are you looking to? If you have moved to Texas, feel free to share your story below!! I’m curious to hear!!