where were you born?
did you stay in the same place long?
have you traveled around the US at all?
would you like to travel the globe?
what state is your favorite?
Hey, you, I like your avatar!
Question #1
I was born in Northwest Pennsylvania in the most beautiful place in Pennsylvania or on earth.
I lived there until I was 18 years old, but 3 different houses. From 18 to 20, I lived in Kansas attending a 2 year college. I came back to Pennsylvania after that and lived there for another 2 or 3 years--during that time I married my now ex. He wanted to move to Southern California in 1983 so we moved to Hacienda Heights, and then Chino. We lived in California 4 years. Three months after Bryce was born, (now 21), my then husband got a job in West Tennessee. I had never been to Tenn. before. I still remember breastfeeding Bryce on the airplane and the glares I got and how I got sick and it made the baby sick too.
In Tennesee while married to Bryce and Michelle's dad, we moved four times from 1987 to 1998, but stayed in Tennessee.
On April 12, 1999, I took the kids and left that husband because of abuse that had been ongoing for many years. I had prayed and prayed for him but you can only pray so much, because God is a gentleman and will not force a man to choose His way.
At that time, I took both of my kids and we lived at a womens shelter in a different town. Michelle and I lived in the shelter for 5 months. Bryce was picked up from Middle School early by his father and chose to stay with him. Later, Bryce's dad took him out of state, even though we weren't divorced yet. That was illegal for him to do that. Michelle has not grown up with her brother since she was 6 years old.
Anyway, while living at the shelter, I worked and saved up money and got an apartment and we had our own place. It was precious to us, even if it was in the Projects. A few months later, I got a better job as a teachers aide at the elementary school where Michelle was in 1st Grade. I worked there until she was in the 4th Grade and it paid our bills. At that time, my mother died, and even though she'd had Alzheimers, it still broke me apart somehow, and I did not handle it well. I became lonely and pitied myself for being alone and not having someone.
Then I did something, really, really, really stupid and quit my job for really dumb reasons and moved to a bigger city in Tennessee. I messed up my whole life, and more importantly, my daughter's life, by getting involved with a man who seemed nice in the beginning. Our marriage lasted exactly three months. After Michelle and I ran away from him, he harassed me, harasssed the family Michelle and I were staying with, he violently entered my workplace so that my boss called the police, and was stalking me. I went to court and the judge granted me an Order of Protection. That meant he could not come around me for one year or he'd be put in jail. Well, my neighbors saw him following me and called the police and he got thrown in jail, but only for 2 days. After that, he never bugged me again. But what he did to Michelle (and me) will last for a lifetime.
I met my present husband a few months later. We have been married for 4 and 1/2 years. We live in the same little town where Bryce, Michelle, and their dad and me started out in and ended our marriage in. Kind of ironic. People still think of me as Jan ____ because that was always my name before and small towns, well...you know.
I like this town now and I'm glad I returned to it. I'm even at the same church with my new family. Michelle grew up in that church until we left her dad.
I feel loved there now, and I feel that God wanted us to come back here all along, as if He'd had it all planned a head of time.
I was a single mom for exactly 5 years and moved 3 times during those years mostly because of drug-infested neighborhoods, leaky roofs and non-working toilets. But I'd never trade those years for anything! It was when my daughter and I were the happiest.
I enjoy being married now, but it is hard for a girl to adjust to a stepdad when she has never had a good father figure. It is working out, though, and I know God is in this!
Question #2: I have traveled all over the U.S. and there are very few states that I haven't visited or driven/ridden through.
Question #3: I would love to travel the globe someday!
Question #4: My favorite state is Pennsylvania. My 2nd favorite state is New York.
My first answer was really long. Guess I got carried away
for you my sister!
