Here is the official blog announcement: we are moving to Buffalo, New York.
Yes, Buffalo! To make a long story shorter - Gregory will soon be training to become an air traffic controller (ATC). He's been involved in this hiring process for, say, over two years now. I'm not exaggerating. He went for the "entrance exam" a few weeks after Jackson was born in 2008. Then we went to L.A. in January 2009 for the interview and other formalities. The job offer for the Pittsburgh airport came a few weeks after that. And then the waiting began. Waiting for either someone to retire or for the need for a new hire.
Anyone who has been through the Pittsburgh airport lately can see that it is sadly not what it used to be. With the move of the US Air hub to Philadelphia, our poor city has really declined in the amount of air traffic coming in and out. Hence, anyone waiting for a job opening in the airport tower was apparently going to wait forever!
Luckily, we've had a good contact through this entire process - a friend of the family who works in the Pittsburgh area as an ATC. He has been kind enough to follow Gregory's file through the never ending journey of government procedures and paperwork. This past March, our friend called to ask if we'd be willing to relocate to Buffalo. It was either relocate or sit and wait for a possible opening in 2012. So we said, basically, why not???
And now it's really happening. When you sit on an idea for so long, it starts to become just that - an idea, not reality. But the day before Elliot was born - we get another call from the FAA. Gregory has a start date for his training (which by the way, is NOT in Buffalo but in Oklahoma City! We will not be going with him, which is an entirely different issue.)
The training starts on September 20th, lasting for a little more than three months, and then it's straight to our new city. In the dead of winter! I explained the whole process because for those that don't know why we are leaving our pretty much perfect existence here in Leetsdale, we get a dumbfounded "What the hell are you thinking?" look when we mention Buffalo.
It's scary, it's intimidating, but it's what we are going to do!
Alexis, that is so exciting and probably stressful and emotionally draining as well. Adaptability is one of those qualities that I desperately wished I possessed and it seems you will be on your way to mastering in the next few months. I wish the best for you and your family in these coming months which are sure to be challenging. I was cleaning out a wardrobe the other day and thought of you when I came across a bunch of AIO diapers I used for my twins. Some of them were never even used and most of them just lightly used. Do you have enough for Elliot? They are not adjustable in size but fit to 18 pounds. Let me know if you are interested. Also, at the risk of sounding insensitive, when will you be putting your house on the market? Congratulations again on the birth of Elliot and now...your new life!
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