Moving Away To The Land of Opportunity

There is an adventurous appeal moving to a new place. The freedom of selling possessions and leaving our current place behind is exciting.  Fueling the excitement is the mystery of the unknown things that lie in that new place. But, the fear of the unknown holds us where we are.

Perhaps it would be good to hear our story about moving, one year later. It won't take the mystery out of it, but maybe some of the fear.

The last 12 months we transitioned. A year ago I interviewed for a job in Kentucky and accepted it. We moved to a completely new city, both got new jobs, and started over. I showed up in Kentucky after two days of driving with a car full of things I would need to live for 6 months. I slept in a hotel.

My wife and I were away from each other for six months. The comfortable routine that we took for granted was turned upside down and turned 180 degrees. It made us stronger for sure, but it added one more complication to the move.

It was a lot of hard work with lots and lots of changes to adapt to. For several months, all we did was take care of one new challenge after another. We were just trying to keep our heads above the water.

Time went by, but we still didn't know enough about our new city. We had to research an incredible amount of information like where to get our car worked on, where to go to the dentist, and which neighborhoods would be best to live in. It sounds like a simple Google search, but when you can't even go to dinner after a long day without stopping to research your options, even Google isn't easy enough.

The transition took a long time. I'm still exhausted from it. I'm so thankful for the opportunity to move, but if I had to do this again next year all my hair would certainly turn gray.

Today, we are settled in to a large degree. We have a home our mail arrives without being forwarded to us, and we walk the dog twice a day. We know all the restaurants in town, all the grocery stores, and where to get our oil changed. We are still considered "brought ins" (outsiders) in Bardstown, Kentucky, but that's not so bad. People are very welcoming anyway.

The biggest enhancement to our lives from the move are the new opportunities. New places always means new opportunities. We get to see live music that is unique because we are 2 hours from Nashville. I am able to make wine commercially, and she is able to have a garden in a climate where things will grow. We get to learn about horse racing, and always have good college basketball fans to chat with.

Did we lose opportunities in Colorado? Of course. I still think about the mountains, coaching basketball, and playing softball with friends, but I still feel connected to Colorado. I actually would say that I feel at home in both places. I don't feel like I left permanently.

Did we change as people? Not really. We are still the same people with the same tastes. Our house still looks the same. We still stock the pantry and fridge with the same foods, and still watch the same TV shows. We have learned a lot though. If anything, we've probably grown up some more.

After a year, I'm glad we moved. Wouldn't change a thing.

One piece of advice. Rushing into moving can be foolish. Listen to that still, small voice inside about the timing. If something doesn't seem right about it, wait for better timing.