I've been thinking a lot about moving lately...not shocking since we, well, moved.
Whenever the topic of moving comes up in conversation, most often it is described as "hard." Or, perhaps, "the worst." Not only is the act of moving a logistical and organizational challenge, but uprooting your life and trying to resettle it in a new geographic locale is emotional.
Many of our moves, up until now, have been primarily characterized by a feeling of excitement. When we left Connecticut in 2008 to move to Seattle, we were giddy with anticipation of our new life. New apartments in the Emerald City brought cool new coffee shops and closer proximity to friends. Leaving Seattle, however, was very bittersweet. It took me a long time to overcome the emotions I had about that move. Not sure I ever totally will.
This most recent move has been a whole different ballgame. It's the first time moving has really had an impact on our kids. It's a move we chose to make; we didn't have to move. We loved our old house and our old neighborhood. We had a really fantastic life there. Nothing is ever just black or white.
It's been hard, for sure. Change does not come easy. It's also really challenging to try to settle in to a new area when you barely feel like you can get off the couch. But we feel confident in our decision. Confident this was the right choice for our family.
Little by little we've been settling in to the new house and neighborhood. Last week, Dan made a swing on a tree in our backyard. This weekend, he put up our porch swing. The coffee shop down the street makes really, really good espresso. Our neighbors have been very welcoming. We put a scarecrow and pumpkins out as Halloween decorations.
Now we just need to bring the new baby into our new home. That's not going to add to anyone's adjustment woes, I'm sure...