Jordan and I rolled into the gorge for the first time in June 2016. We drove around trying to imagine that we weren't completely lost and attempting to wrap our heads around the fact that we were about to move 3,000 miles away from everything we had ever known. We met with the principal at one of the schools I would be teaching at and stuck around for a staff meeting so that he could introduce us. During that introduction, he mentioned that I had interviewed via Skype and had accepted the position without ever visiting the gorge. As he was saying this a teacher shouted out "You just hit the jackpot" and several people in the room seemed to wholeheartedly agree. At the time we didn't think too much of it. We wrapped up our trip, went home, picked up our kids, sold all our earthly possessions, packed up our van and hit the road.
Not long after moving here I was out exploring with my family and that phrase "You just hit the jackpot" came back to me. That phrase quickly became my personal mantra as I found myself thinking it on a regular basis.
The awesome thing is that I haven't stopped thinking "Jackpot" with everything that is going on. I find myself thinking it even more. Today we cashed out a little of our jackpot.
Two incredible friends of ours organized a brunch, bubbles, band, beer, treasure hunt (I ran out of b's) to celebrate Jordan completing her radiation treatment. Over the course of a few hours today the rain and clouds broke, we got sunshine (and a rainbow) and we got to soak up all the good things this community has poured out to us. It was a special day for us and we are so thankful that we got to share it with so many of our friends and family. JACKPOT!
