When I started this blog in early April, I’d written that Tony and I were planning on movng to Scranton. It was a dream, albeit one that we thought would take a couple of years to accomplish. After all, Tony is only turnng 62 this summer. Sure, he could retire then, but why not wait for a few years in order to reclaim more of his social security?
But then, in mid-April, he learned the school district was reorganizing and his job would no longer be available in the next academic year. Lucky for us, Tony has retirement income to fall back on. Others didn’t have this safety net. But that’s a post for another day.
The news was bittersweet. Tony had been coaching with his high school for nearly 20 years. He is happy to be standing on the cusp of pursuing his bucket list, but wistful about the friends and memories he would be leaving behind. And it was the way he found out about his position: Adminstrators informed him and about 39 colleaues from schools throughout the countywide district in a general meeting. After all the years he – they – spent giving their best to educate and raise up future generations, these employees were informed en masse their services were no longer needed. Tony knew at that moment: Finding Scranton was going to become a reality.
He filed the necessary paperwork and I got busy sending out resumes. We made a couple of trips “up North” (to borrow from my Michigan vernacular) for house hunting. By the first week in May, I’d secured a dream job with an amazing local nonprofit agency. By mid-May, we’d bought a house. By the end of May, our mortgage was approved and Tony entered into an agreement with a friend to buy his house as well. Easy peasey.
Look out. Tony and Kristin’s Excellent Adventure has begun!
Who knows if this will all work out? We believe it will and we can hardly wait to become part of Scranton. For Tony, it’s a homecoming a long time in the making. For me, its a chance to once again be part of community.
Soon, the posts on this blog will change. Finding Scranton will be less metaphorical, less about finding that inner holy grail, and more about uncovering all the things that make Scranton, well, Scranton. Five days and counting!
Finding Scranton 