Sooooo, since I moved to the other Carolina, I had to deal with all the fun things you get to do when you move states. Like frequent the DMV and play the fun game of how does this state do things (and why can't they do it like South Carolina?). Really. It's a fun game. Really, it can be. I'm sure it is. At least that's what I'm telling myself. However, still hesitant that I may not have won this game, I'll share my fun experiences.
1) Two trips to the drivers license office (not to be confused with the SC DMV where you can accomplish more than one thing). Oh, did I mention that these offices are in another town 20 miles away? Yeah, my town is so small it doesn't have one.
Trip one: realize the wait is over two hours and decide to come back.
Trip two: arrive at 8:45, wait in line, get number, number is called before one can even sit down, pass info to helpful clerk (no, really - the employees here were extremely nice and helpful!), take vision and street signs test, take written test (you know the one you barely passed as a teenager - or was that just me), pass with flying colors only because of the skimming you did the night before, pay money, take picture, leave without license.
Yeah, you read that correct. They mail it to you 5 to 20 days later. In which comes the other part of this fun story.
2) Four trips to the license plate office (which of course is nowhere near the driver's license office).
Trip one: Drive to office, discover that they really won't give you a plate until you have your license in your hand there with you. Walk to car. Have major meltdown for no reason since I knew that.
Trip two and three: Drive to office happy that license is now in hand, wait in line, proceed with all paperwork and get ready to pay. Discover that all checks have been used. Ask desperately what to do since I really didn't want to drive home and back for checks. Helpful clerk suggests ATM around corner. Leave DMV, walk around corner, no ATM, get lost, go back to car, circle Lumberton like five times (ok, maybe that's a slight exaggeration), get upset, call co-worker who lives here, find bank, no ATM, find another bank, bank 1 directs to, get cash, drive back to DMV, go back inside, line has now tripled, wait more, finally my turn, get upset internally cuz of a misheard amount and maybe not enough cash, God is gracious, enough cash, find out massive amount of cash is welcome to NC fee (my interpretation) and taxes will come in three months, get tag, leave office, have massive meltdown in car (in which I petition God that I really can't handle being single anymore).
Trip Four: DMV sends me a letter, they gave me the wrong tag, please call, call and find out tag needs to be returned, drive to office, unscrew tag, wait in line, proceed with more computer stuff, scrape sticker off tag, print new info, new tag and correct sticker, screw tag back in and feel satisfied that it might all be over.
I'm still waiting and hoping that maybe that was the end of it all and maybe, just maybe I'm a NC resident full and clear.
Now some of you ladies out there may be of the type that you do this kind of stuff, not your husband. That's fine. And all this could have happened to you, too. I guess I was just feeling overwhelmed and very alone at the time. Pray for me as I have been feeling the vast aloneness of being single. Not the aloneness of not having an amazing God to take care of me and not that I don't have a wonderful family and friends. More of the aloneness of no companionship to accompany me home and chat with over dinner and have discussions in the evening. I really miss having companionship in the evenings and having someone I can bounce things off of without feeling like I'm bothering them or being too burdensome. It's a hard balance I've found. But mostly I've just discovered that I'm never moving to another state . . . not unless I have a man to do all of this for me!
