Yeah that's not a typo.
I'm off for Texas again in a few days to work for the Dallas Stars at the practice facility as the operations manager. Same title as when I was in Boston... except not for a team I hate in a city I dislike. To be fair I don't know Dallas that well. I went to one Stars game during the pandemic before moving away from Austin in 2021, but other than the airport and that game I haven't done much in the large area that is Dallas and its surrounding towns.
Anyone who talked to me since I left Austin in 2021 knows I liked Texas. I often mentioned how maybe I should have changed careers and stayed in Austin. But the offer to go back to Boston was to good to pass on at the time. But I still felt like something was missing. I moved to Bridgeport to stay with family and try my hand at Chelsea Piers, which was worse than my days in Texas honestly but that's another whole chapter in itself. Then when the Stars showed interest a long process of us talking led me to interview and then eventually be offered the job while I was visiting family and friends in Vermont. Since returning to CT I've been prepping to move,
moonlighting in Hartford for the AHL Wolfpack, and reflecting on many things.
Leaving CT was a tough choice for me to make. Being near family was great and Kyle and I getting to hang often and take our podcast Court Cousins to great heights was amazing. But professionally I was unfulfilled. I left Chelsea Piers with a multitude of ideas that ranged from going back to school in Orlando to package delivery and part time driving here in CT. I even looked at working for Amtrak and a few other random jobs... I wasn't sure what was next. But working at the Bridgeport Arena this season reminded me how much I like being around the game of hockey. How specialized my talents are, and how happy I could be with a good fit. The chance to work for an NHL team again in a state I enjoyed living in was ultimately a chance I need to take.
I don't think I have more multiple moves in my future. Believe it or not I'm getting tired of it. I'd like to settle and eventually buy my own house. Living in Bridgeport cleared any debt I had, allowed me to grow my credit, and be on the cusp of being stable financially. Moving all those times sure didn't help... but hey here we are.
Something feels different this time... I feel like it might be my last time living in New England, and I'm not sad about it. I'm glad to be from here but I'm over much of what comes with living here. Be it the weather, or the high cost of living... this older fella is ready to do as my ancestors did and move south!
Truth me told... I'm nervous. Until my stuff is all in my new apartment I won't be totally whole. I've learned from previous moves enough to hopefully have this one be the smoothest... but we'll see. Another cross-country drive awaits me. This time in a Jeep versus the Prius. Another rink job in Texas awaits me... but with a company that probably won't go bankrupt. Another shot working for an NHL team. Another chance to have a life in Texas that I had envisioned before.
Ok that feels like enough rambling. Now I'll add the pic from Instagram and get back to packing. I'll update on Instagram as I travel. I'll check back in here when I'm settled. Hopefully these entries will be better than last time!