New iberia Louisiana, My fifth year as an oilfield wife. Life has it's ups and downs, but The Lord himself keeps me grounded. I'm originally from Phoenix, AZ. I met my husband in 2005, we were pregnant in early 2006 and he then decided that his hometown would be the best place to raise our baby. We moved to the east got married and had our baby all within 4 months. He told me that working offshore would give him a chance to make good money, better than he was making in Phoenix.
In 2007 between February and July he had made nearly 40k as an electrician offshore. It was short lived, I didn't realize just how much money we really had our hands on. Our year together in AZ we made a combined 34k and paid 5k of that to the AZDOT before leaving. We had another child in December that year. It hadn't yet sank in that I lived in Louisiana. That I moved to the state where Katrina happened just one year after the disaster. I hadn't yet realized just how far away the two states were; how far away my family and friends all were.
In was distracted that first year in Louisiana. Overwhelmed by culture shock, in my own country! I was grateful that my children would have a sense of belonging, something I didn't have growing up in Phoenix. However, I felt shut out. My husbands mother shut me out! His grandmother welcomed me but with slight and very hidden reluctancy (didn't find that out until about a year ago, and I greatly appreciate that). There were few in his big family who wanted me to feel welcome and did. And others who pretended I didn't exist.
There's much more to this story obviously. Here we are seven years later and I've grown to be tolerant of my surroundings. I won't dare lead you to believe I love my situation, but as an adult I am sure that this living situation is better than one we would have had in Arizona. My husband makes just about six figures while only working about half of the year and I'm a stay at home mom and life still happens but we manage.
We have friends, all of whom work in the same industry and of these people only two of the female spouses work. Same goes for our family; all in the oilfield few with working wives.
I decided to make this blog because I feel my life has been pretty interesting for a stay at home mom. Mostly because of my relocation to Louisiana, but none-the-less, I'm sure there must be others out there in my situation looking for direction, or even just someone to relate to. Finding friends here has been a bit of a task. This coming from someone who left four best friends, and a long time friend who has defaulted into the family category back at home. I left my family, and relied on people who didn't see me as family until the third year I was here.
I think most of my experiences have to do with the south, but more about growing up. I was 20 years old when I left everything I knew. I expected so much more from women from people and from life because I wasn't guided. I was left on my own (quite literally ) to figure a lot of things out. Things about my life, and things about myself. It's all a learning process and continues to be.
