Not everything goes as planned. The guy that was going to sub-let my apartment?He backed out a few days after I left for Texas.
That condo the COO promised? The office manager said it was occupied by three male interns from Oklahoma. There was no way she would put me there.
Where will I live? I asked her over the phone.
"I don't know. Just come, we will find you a place."
WHAT?! Two of my long-time friends from CT were not convinced I should drive 1,000+ miles without some guarantee of housing. What if there was no place to put me up once I got to Houston? What was I thinking? They wanted to know and I appreciated their concern, but truthfully, I needed the job.
Desperation drives people beyond their comfort zones.
So I got in my faithful Subaru, Babe the blue Ox, and took a couple days to drive to Texas. If I was going to make the trip, I would make it worth my while.
I stopped and spent the night with a friend, a friend who is a friend of a friend, but is really now a sister…that is another entire stepping stone story. I also pulled over at one of those brown state park signs and took myself for a run at Wallace State Park in Missouri.
I toured the National Weather Center on the campus of Oklahoma University.
Yes, I wondered what would meet me when I arrived. I had thoughts of sleeping in Babe, since she wasn’t quite as full as the move from CT to MN, and I could recline the seat. I worried about the money; would I have to pay rent from my summer income? Would I be able to afford it?
Was this insane?
I pulled into the company parking lot three days after leaving MN and walked in.
“You must be Cat,” the office manager barely blinked when I walked in. We shook hands.
“It’s been really hard to find rooms since Hurricane Harvey. People are still in temporary housing and the hotels have been full up.”
The office was air conditioned, but I was sweating.
“There is a new Homewood Suites that opened just up the road, so I put you there if you want to go check in.”
There is no way I can pay for that! I thought.
“We have a company account with them so it is all on the company credit card. Just call me if there are any problems checking in.”
Did I hear that correctly? Would I need to pay them back? She looked at me like I was a nincompoop.
“No, it’s on the company credit card,” she repeated.
Pinch me, I thought.
I hit the jackpot people. Free breakfasts every morning, dinners Monday through Thursday including wine and beer, a fitness center and pool. Plus, the suite came with a kitchen and sitting area.
Yes, desperation drives people beyond their comfort zones and sometimes, it takes them to a much better place. I spent two months in paradise. Thank you, God.
