Why Did We Move Across the Country?

Every new person we meet, and every person we catch up with from back home, always asks the same questions.  Why did you move?  What made you pick up and leave in a month?  How did you do it?  Were you planning this?  WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!

Okay, the last one was a bit dramatic, but you get the point.  I'm here to spill it so everyone is on the same page.  And so I can read this 20 years from now and look back on being young and adventurous. 

Ever since we've know each other, Mike and I have always talked about leaving Minnesota.  Not because we don't like it, but just to try something new.  Especially after studying abroad and Mike visiting in Europe, we knew that there was a lot to see outside of the Great Lakes. 

But in the hustle of graduating and getting first jobs, moving around the Twin Cities, getting new jobs, and getting married, we got really settled in and comfortable with ourselves, our house, and our people. And if you're ever been married, you know the house and baby questions come the second you get a ring on your finger. 

We wanted to buy a house and have kids, but there was always something holding us back.  Really keeping us from taking a new step.  Mike eventually put it in to words.  We would never be able to settle down until we gave ourselves the chance to try something new.  We would always regret not taking a chance somewhere else. 

If you know me, I'm not all about regrets.  So we took action...really slowly.  Hah!  For about a year, we seriously considered moving.  Mike got to his researching ways and found us a couple of options.  Our top choices were San Francisco, New York, and Austin.  I initially said no to the heat, but after a lot of changes at my job, the itch for change that I could control got stronger.  We decided that Austin was the best fit for us.  Music, warmth, technology, and great people.  Let's go!

In January 2014, Mike applied for about five jobs in Austin.  One immediately offered to fly him down for an extensive two-day interview.  By Friday, he was leaving the office with a verbal offer and a start date a month away. 

But we had a LIFE in Minnesota!  We had a townhome lease, two jobs, two vehicles, our bunny Lola.  Could we do this?  We second guessed ourselves all weekend.  Tried to decide what really needed to happen for us to up and move. 

And the company came back with an offer that eased all of our fears and made it absolutely impossible to say no.  They even gave us a trip down to Austin to find a place to live and see the city.  My first time ever in Texas.  I can't believe we followed through with all of this!

Neither could anyone else.  People knew we were considering moving eventually, but no one knew that it would actually happen so soon.  We even kept our parents in the dark because we didn't want to create chaos unless something was actually going to happen.  And then all of the sudden, we were moving in a month.  Sorry, Mom.  She was the first one we called on speaker phone.  On the way to our celebratory dinner.  And within five seconds, she was bawling.  Her baby girl and favorite Mikey were leaving. 

We were also fulfilling what I guess you could call a "dream" of ours.  It was hard, stressful, expensive, draining, emotional, CRAZY.  But coming up on six months later, it was right. 

Yes, I've been lonely.  Sometimes it's really hot.  I'm not in love with our house.  BUT - we both got fantastic jobs, our neighbors are great, and we are having a fabulous time trying out everything we can get our hands on.

Most of all, our relationship is thriving and we are extremely happy.  It has also been a great method to see who and what really matters to us, and what we need to survive and be happy.  For now, we're good where we are, and I'm doing to my best to roll with it and not plan too far ahead!