The courting was complete, the marriage finished (and consummated, lol), the logical next step for the 2 us as adventurers was of course to move across the country. We were young and in love (still are) and figured “If we are going to make a move like this, we better do it now because we sure aren’t getting any younger”. How was this all possible you ask? Well one thing that I failed to mention in my last post was that while we were honeymooning in Florida, a duration of our stay was spent in Nokomis with my Dad, Stepmom and little sister, Jori. I always knew that I had a deep love for the general Sarasota area, now I just had to find a way to convince Jenelle that this would be a great opportunity for us to learn and grow together. If you have ever visited Sarasota and her Beauty, you will understand why I didn’t exactly have to twist my new brides arm into moving to the beach!
While in the Sarasota area we decided to stop by the local Best Buy #562 to pick up a CD, Sublime to be exact. It just so happened that the day we chose to stop in and shop was also a day that the store was holding a “career fair”, what luck! I approached the table and mentioned that I had worked for Best Buy in the past and would be very interested in the opportunity to return to the world of Khaki’s and Blues. Upon completion of filling out a form or 2, I was informed that the GM was in the building and was interested in interviewing me on the spot. I jumped at this opportunity; as any of you who know me, I love to talk! We found a place to take a seat off to the side and began the all-too-familiar 10-12 questions. I felt confident during my impromptu interview and became very excited as I was informed of a “Brand New Position” that would be opening within the next few months, perfect timing! We can return to MI, save up some money and prepare to tackle this life goal.
Around September of 2006 I received the call that I had been waiting for, the Supervisor, Mark informed me that Best Buy had acquired another brand, which was known for very high-end home theater products, Magnolia Home Theater. Another thing you should know about me is that I am a home theater fanatic; I love it all. I knew this opportunity was provided from above as all the pieces kept falling into place all too perfectly. The best part of this conversation, Mark let me know that the GM, Mike was impressed enough with our interview from a few months ago and that they were ready to offer me the top spot! I think I may have pee’d a bit at this point. I remember looking up and thanking God for the opportunity after gladly accepting this role. I was due to report to St. Pete on 10/1 and Best Buy was even willing to pick up the tab for my flights!
I spent my first week in Florida without my wife. Because I was going to be swamped with training and we thought it most respectful to allow Jenelle to put in her time with her employer, she joined me 3 weeks later when I flew north, packed everything we could into our Tiny little Saturn and drove straight through to our new home. I remember how excited we were to be on this new adventure and the opportunities it would present us with, I think we also felt proud of ourselves as we were doing something that not a lot of other people our age were doing. We made our goal known and then we did everything we could to make it happen and it felt good as we progressed together on 75 south, just us, and iPod, all of our necessities packed tight and the wide open road ahead of us. I would recommend this experience to anyone if life allows it.
Our first 3 months in the sunshine state was spent living with my Dad, Stepmom and little sister, we are extremely grateful for the opportunity that they afforded us and for the hospitality that they showed while we resided in their home. Once our move was complete, jobs were in place and we had a little bit of money in the bank, we began looking for our own place. We initially considered buying something but we were quickly met with the harsh reality that we were no longer in MI and could not afford anything less than a shack. We opted to rent and we again received a blessing in the form of an amazing condo located just down the street from my family. It was brand new, close to the beach and within our price range, we spent 3 ½ years here in Blackburn Cove.
Life was never too lonely for us in FL as we had the absolute pleasure of one of the best friends anyone could ever ask for, James Dean Purcell also moved to the area and joined Best Buy. JP began life on his own but we all soon learned that a life spent splitting rent was a much more fun life. We spent a lot of time fishing, enjoying the amazing beaches and the standard Florida lifestyle.
We began making friends with the Best Buy family and overtime created some very solid friendships that we still cherish and miss daily. We all possessed unique characteristics that when combined seemed to result in the perfect “group”. JP found and secured the love of his life, Jo Dixon, Mike and Corey Snedeker and Jeff and Anna Heck. The 8 of us together always resulted in a great time with loads of entertainment. We always enjoyed the "Phenomenal" company of Goldja and Grizzle too. I should also mention my Geek Squad Boys, Dave, Ben, John, Jay & Juice. We did all that we could together, Dinners, Birthdays, Lunches, Fishing, Disney, Beaching, Bocce, Savannah, St. Augustine, Church…etc. We love you guys dearly.
As holiday after holiday passed and we were unable to travel north to reunite with our family, whom we missed immensely, we both knew that our time in the subtropics was growing close to expiration. We again developed a goal to move back across the country (yes, to a state we said we wouldn’t miss because of the horrid winters) to a place that we truly call home. With the help of another amazing friend, Phil Portman, I became aware of an opportunity with Best Buy back in the Detroit market. Corporate was planning to open a new store in Novi across from 12 oaks mall and they were in the process of filling the management spots. I timidly put my hat in the ring, as I did not believe that I stood a chance but to my surprise I earned my self a management role and the opportunity to Grand Open a store that I could call my own! West Oak #1544, Grand Opened 5/21/10.
Jenelle was not able to move at the same time as me because she was in the process of completing her schooling to become a CMA (Certified Medical Assistant). We agreed that Jenelle should stay and complete her course as her credits would not transfer to MI and so the next 6 months of our lives were lonely to say the least. We spent many hours on the phone and with the help of todays “connected world”, we were even able to see one another while chatting via webcam. I can’t even begin to explain how much this technology helped to soften the blow of being apart for so long. This test of our relationship resulted in an even stronger marriage and the rewards offered from Jenelles course completion were well worth the hardship endured.
We have now purchased our first home in Howell, MI and we are enjoying the ability to make something “our own” for the first time. Jenelle spends her days as a CMA in an OB/GYN office in West Bloomfield and I am now a Deputy Field Marshal for Geek Squad covering a district from Brighton south to Toledo. We are at a great place in life and could not be more thankful for all of the blessings around us.
