No moss collection growing here

This is such a bizarre post to write. We are moving. Again. But this time, because we want to. This is uncharted territory for us, because when we've moved in the past, it's been because we've had to. The Army told us to. Of course we have enjoyed this nomadic lifestyle immensely- seeing new places and meeting new people, trying new food, learning new roads (grocery store layouts/doctors' offices/microwave buttons/airport terminals/shower water nozzles/insert all the new things here), adjusting to new and different ways of life- it all stretches us and helps us grow. It's not always been easy, but it's always been worth it.

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Moving to New York City was such a curve ball for us. Steve needed a job and finding one after separating from Korea proved extremely difficult. Complicating situations were renovating the house in Pennsylvania and giving birth soon after moving back to the States. So when he finally got this job and it was only located 3ish hours up the road from where we were, it was semi-appealing. Not a huge move. But it wasn't quite the direction we wanted to move in. We thought we were a bit crowded in Pennsylvania; neighbors too close, house too creaky, street too busy. This is all hilarious now, especially if you've visited our current home. We now live directly above our landlords (who we love), and are attached to two other families in our building. If I can escape Will's room after putting him to sleep at night without creaking the floor and giving my position away to the enemy, my bones inevitably crack and let Will know that his old mama is planning to make a run for it. The street we live on may as well be some sort of drag racing scene out of Fast and Furious, unless it's 1am and the trash truck is noisily collecting glass bottles. Add to this the fact that we possess not a single shred of grass for my highly energetic children to run upon and it has caused some issues.

Steve and I can both agree that we are not big city folks. Not that the area of NYC we live in is full of skyscrapers or zillions of taxis, but it is still a highly populated, VERY EXPENSIVE place to call home (as evidenced by this article). Our 12-year-old car is frequently passed on the street by Maseratis and Bentleys. We pack a picnic lunch if we go out on the weekends. If we eat a meal out, it's $2 bagels for breakfast. We Zillow homes as we drive around and veritable shacks with no yards are going for upwards of $1mil. Praise the Lord above that we have always been able to pay our bills and we have never ever gone without or felt poor (even if we were/are). Even living here I still feel like we live in complete abundance (minus the grass, of course). My children have plenty of clothes to wear (fashionable they are not), food to eat (whether they like it or not), and toys to play with (I prefer to call them "vintage" and "well loved"). We are undoubtedly blessed and so thankful for parents who taught us to save and live within our means. But the fact remains that we are not city folks. We don't really feel like we belong here. We feel like the 9-5 grind and the dream of living in NYC might be just a tiny bit (ok, a lot bit) overrated.

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So when our friends from (our time in) Korea (they are not Korean) casually mentioned/harrassed us about moving to their small town in Minnesota, we laughed. Wouldn't that be something! Hilarious for us to move to Minnesota- a place we've never been. But, hmmm, it would be nice to have some land. It would be nice to live near friends. It would be nice to have the financial freedom to not have to work 9-5 to make ends meet. It would be nice to be outdoors and spend time together as a family and live in a small town and just live more simply. So the more we laughed about it, the more we started seriously considering it. We looked at properties, we crunched numbers. We weighed pros and cons. And as Steve became more and more miserable at work and suffered more and more health problems, we started wondering why we were waiting. Are we really doing the kids any favors by letting them finish the school year if it means their parents are absolutely NUTS?! It's kindergarten and pre-K. Not senior year calculus and honors English. Our entire existence in Minnesota would cost us less per month than our rent alone here in NYC. And I understand why that is. And I'm sure it's worth it to plenty of people who desire the amenities in this area. But that isn't something we value. To us, it's a complete no-brainer. (We were seriously considering moving straight to Minnesota after getting back from Korea. We researched and planned and even went so far as to speak with a real estate agent there. But in the end, I felt that it would be more "normal" for us to live near family, get a house in the burbs, and for Steve to find that quintessential 9-5 job. "Normal" is overrated! Not for us! No thank you!)

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Steve will be in the Minnesota National Guard, along with our friend from Korea (who is a recruiter there). The situation is a little tricky in that Steve will have to resign his commission in order to enlist in the National Guard and eventually qualify for an AGR (Active Guard Reserve) position. I'm sure this would be a big deal for most folks, but Steve has actually hated being an officer (thus the separation from active duty), so this is something he is enthusiastically looking forward to. He enlisted in college and enjoyed his time serving then. I can attest that since he commissioned as a 2LT it has been nothing but pure misery and politics. Financially, it never made sense for him to resign his commission before. But now it does. (Officer AGR jobs are few and far between and likely saved for some good ol' boy that knows so-and-so from way back when. AKA Steve ain't gettin' picked up as a Captain.)

Yes, this feels crazy. Completely crazy. We are putting a lot of trust into our friends. We lived within 20ish feet of each other for a year and saw each other everyday, watching early morning college football games together, celebrating holidays as family when we had no family to spend holidays with, talking about our hopes and dreams for our post-Army life, and watching our kids (who all happen to be just about the same age) play together. We trust them. Plain and simple. We know that we both want the same things out of life and we know what we need to achieve that.

We have the option to work less and live more. Who is going to reach the end of their life and wish that they had done the opposite? Not many folks, I would imagine. I know it looks a bit unconventional. Neither of our families live in Minnesota. And while I am from Alabama, I did not grow up on a farm (contrary to popular belief- ha!). Being that our ultimate goal is to buy a house on some land, this will definitely be a learning experience for us. But then again, this isn't much different than any other move we've made. Luckily we have our friends and their family who have lived there for many years to show us the way (through the snow/tapioca/more snow). We are excited to do all of this, but I won't lie- I'm a little nervous.

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Because SNOW. SO MUCH SNOW. I love the snow. I think it's beautiful. I love watching it fall. I love watching other people shovel it. (What? I'm being honest.) But knowing how much snow they get in Minnesota has me getting cold feet at times (haaaaaaaa cold weather puns!). My desert-loving friend that married her Minnesota man assures me that if she can survive it (and enjoy it), then I can too. I'm willing to give it the old college try. Steve and I are not fixin to pick our burial plots in this town. We are all about doing something until it doesn't work or make sense anymore. And if for some reason, Minnesota doesn't work after some time, then we will reassess and figure out the best course of action for our family. But currently my big kids are ecstatic over the thought of a house of our own, a yard (!!), and seeing their Korea friends again. Sam has been telling us he will drive the boat. I guess he and Steve have been discussing their little redneck dreams together and plan to utilize a few of the 15,000 lakes in MN. Molly has been appropriately bribed with an animal or two.


We'll be rolling out of New York City over Christmas break so that the kids will have a normal break from school and then start up in January with their friends in Minnesota. We'll spend Christmas with Steve's family in Pennsylvania and celebrate Will turning one (impossible! not happening! lalalalala!) before driving 9 million hours to the winter wonderland we'll call home.

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So that's where we are! The state of our household right now. I hope this was enlightening if not slightly maddening. Sorry for all the pinterest quote photos but they really help me think that this is possible! We can do it! Following your dreams isn't crazy! It's poetic! Inspirational! Rational! Adult! And any other words and thoughts that don't conjure up thoughts of what. the. fck. HA!

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