So we are almost done packing, Katka and I. And tomorrow we set off from the Mexican highlands here in San Miguel de Allende, headed north toward the border, the Mexico-USA frontier, to cross the Rio Bravo (though US-Americans call it the Rio Grande) and arrive in Texas.

Our pickup truck, T-Yoda, is loaded. Crammed full of personal and household goods, sitting low on its shocks. But T-Yoda (a Toyota Tundra) is a fine truck and has been a reliable replacement for our previous pickup truck, Rambeaux (a Dodge Ram), which served so well for 18 years before he retired in late 2013. In case you didn’t notice, I like giving Cajun-flavored names to my vehicles. T-Yoda as a name adds in a little Star Wars tang, as well. Well, he’s our space ship.

Anyway…

Now we are moving north after this past year and a half in Mexico. We’ll land in the Austin, Texas, area and look for a suitable house, one that affords us both the space we need to work. We’ll no doubt end up in a small town or rural area within hollering distance of the city proper. Perhaps Wimberley, or Blanco, or Elgin, or Taylor, or Bastrop. Some place like that. I’d like to have ample space to breathe, to run. And to plant a garden, too. Maybe I’ll even get some chickens and we’ll enjoy fresh eggs every day. The country life, or close to it.

But we’ll be working hard. I’ve got a novel in progress, and it appears that I’ll soon be writing a pilot script for a TV series based on a book of mine. (Knock on wood. But more on that subject later, as it gels, i.e. when contracts are signed.) And Katka will be creating her ink and pastel drawings while she expands her functional concrete garden art (sculptures) business. So we’ll be busy.

There also are personal reasons for the relocation. I have family in Texas, both in the Austin area and in East Texas, so I’ll get to spend more time with them. And I will reconnect with many good friends who I’ve missed these past 21 years living in Paris, Prague, and Mexico.

I’m somewhat anxious about the change, of course. After so many years as an expat, when I’ve visited the USA during recent trips I’ve felt like a stranger there. I felt like a foreigner. I’ve experienced culture shock. So it will take some time for me to adjust. And of course for Katka, it will be the same.

So we are setting off on another adventure. I’m feeling excited. Walking through a door into the unknown is like that, always. A new world awaits. Wish us well!