Big News: We’re moving!

Our family has some news. Big news. We’re moving to Michigan at the end of June!

Aaaeeee! I first have to say that I’m so happy our news is finally out there! We’ve had this in the works for months now. Since December 2017, to be exact. Sorry to keep you in the dark, but I hope you understand there was lots to work out with something this big, and we needed to be respectful of all the moving parts. (Some that are even still evolving. More on that below.)

Any move is tough and stressful, but one in which you’re going across state lines is added intensity. In a word, I’d describe it as bananas. Especially since we didn’t have a situation where there was a job as a reason pulling us there. No, the decision was all us, and we’ve had to really work to make it happen for our family. It’s been a wild ride, and I’m spilling all the details below! You guys, there’s so much here. I almost don’t even know where to start. So, I’ll start at the beginning, because I think that’ll help to provide a lot of context surrounding our decision.

Doug and I moved here in 2009 to both go to graduate school. Chicago was actually kind of a happy accident; I had my heart set on Boston, but when Doug got into the University of Chicago, it was something that he couldn’t turn down. We ultimately decided that doing long distance wasn’t for us, so Chicago it was as I pivoted and applied for schools in the Windy City.

We are both born-and-raised Michiganders, and despite growing up near Detroit, we’d never lived in a big city. So, moving here was a dream — a big, kind of scary dream that I couldn’t wait to dive into. I packed up my bags, rented a tiny apartment with my best friend and two girls we’d never met, took out a student loan, and went to school at night while working full time. We were eager and tired and had no idea where we were going from there, but mainly we were having a blast. Determined to make it on our own in the big city.

Grad school turned us into graduates. Our first jobs, taken just to pay the bills, evolved into new roles that turned us into professionals. We were living with our friends and loving every second. Doug started his own company. I started this blog. We both decided it was important to experience living on our own away from our friends, so we got studio apartments. I got promoted. Doug proposed. We moved in together. We planned a wedding. We got married. I took a new job. We were both working hard, growing professionally and personally, and loving the city as our backdrop.

We had Grace. We had Josephine. And then the city changed. As I type this, a flood of memories fill my mind as tears arrive at the brim of my eyes.

I remember so many moments like they were yesterday. Waking up early to get the best flowers at Green City Market. Late nights on rooftops with our best friends above the Local Option. Dinners at countless amazing restaurants. Lollapalooza. That time my car was stolen. All the places we lived. Waving to the train with Jo saying, “Choo Choo!” as it flew by. Gracie, taking some her first steps in the very place where we shot these photographs. Walking around our favorite neighborhoods.

Happy tears, mixed with lots of nostalgia, of course. I can’t believe we’re really leaving. The city was so good to me. To us. It feels like the closing of one of the most signifiant chapters of my life thus far. I’m happy and sad and relieved and already miss this wonderful, crazy place that I barely scratched the surface of. 

Everything has a time and season, I suppose. Because even while I look back and remember all the positive, we know it’s the right time to leave for our family. As I noted earlier, having kids changed our outlook significantly. You’ve heard it before, I’m sure. The traffic. The noise. The cost of living. The car-lined streets. I truly admire those who raise families here, because it’s a commitment. Everything is harder than you’d imagine, even mundane things like grocery shopping or parking. For us, what was once a metropolis that held a dream became one that feels like a nuisance. I can’t pin-point exactly when it happened, but living here has lost a little of its luster; we haven’t done it all, but we no longer feel like we need to.

“Just move to the suburbs of Chicago!” you say. We thought of that. But the more we considered it, the more we knew it wasn’t the right fit. Because, what this move really comes down to is that our families and close friends are all in Michigan. Which is something that no suburb of Illinois can replace.

They say it takes a village, and I believe that to be true. We’re super close with our families, and are so fortunate that they, and us, visit regularly so that we haven’t missed a beat. However, we feel like we’re missing out on some of the special, everyday moments of life without them closer. I don’t know what it’s like to pop over to my parent’s house for a casual dinner. To have them swing by just because. To be with my siblings and friends with no agenda or thoughts about the pending 5 hour drive back to the city. To attend the casual family get togethers to celebrate that month’s birthdays. To have backyard barbecues and a yard for Grace and Jo to feel free and safe in.

Doug and I want all that for our kids. For all of us. And for a plethora of reasons, this is the right time to do it.

So, here we are. Saying goodbye to Chicago, and hello to a wonderful new chapter of life. …Which brings me to the move itself! Trust me when I say that maneuvering this beast has been crazy. There are so many factors that go into something like this. Big decisions like where we’re living, what school and daycare options are available, and what we’re going to do for income, to name a few.

The first thing we formalized was where we’ll be living. We toyed with buying for a while, and after a ton of back and forth, came to the decision that we need to feel things out more before we buy. Not that we’re questioning our move — It’s just that we haven’t lived in Michigan for nearly a decade, and though we certainly know the areas well, we have a few that we would love to call “home”. We decided it’s best to rent until we are certain what specific area we see ourselves in long term.

So, for now, we’ll be moving to metro-Detroit and renting an adorable little starter house. It’s perfect. A dishwasher! A washer and dryer! A yard! We aren’t even going to know what to do with ourselves and all the space. (Er…speaking of…we need to start furniture shopping, pronto!)

The cool part about our scenario is that we’re the first tenants in the place we’re renting, which has been fully renovated. We’ve been fortunate to be an active part in some of the decisions, so we had inputs into things like wall colors and tile preferences. A fun change up from rental situations in the past! (I remember coming into our current place and being appalled at the mustard-yellow walls. Woof.)

The job front is the area that’s been the craziest. (And, truth be told, the reason I was unable to spill the beans here for so long!) The long and short of it is this: I was originally planning on quitting my job, because I didn’t think I would be able to work from home. However, when I put in my notice, I was fortunate to receive an offer to work from home in my same role full time! Which is the greatest situation possible because it’ll serve as such a seamless transition for our family. (Still in disbelief that things worked out this way. Thank you, universe! And my boss. 😉 )

And what does this all mean for Isn’t That Charming? This is just the beginning, my friends. Back when I was thinking I’d need to quit my job to make this move happen, I was toying with diving into things here full time, starting my own creative consulting business, and finally writing the book I’ve had on my mind for a while. I’ll be honest with you and tell you that exploring my own entrepreneurial ventures is still in my long term plan. But, for now, I’m so beyond thankful that things are working out as they are, and can’t wait to continue to do my thing for one of the world’s biggest brands and grow as a professional. Life is funny; it seems to all come full circle. I feel like we’re positioning ourselves to be exactly where we should be. It’s crazy that it’s back to where we started.

I look back on 22 year old me – that young woman from a small town in Michigan who craved the experience of the big city – and smile.  I’m proud of her for making all her goals reality. For diving in head first and doing it. I’m so happy that she took the leap. I look back on my time in Chicago and can’t imagine having spent the past near-decade anywhere else. All the people I’ve met along the way that I know will be lifelong friends. The coworkers, bloggers, neighbors and everyone in between. The experiences had, the good and bad times, all will forever be ingrained in me and truly have made me a better person.

In a way, I feel like we’re taking another leap into the unknown. Yes, we’re going back to familiar places and faces. But, similar to Chicago, I know we’re going to make it our own. I’m excited to experience Detroit in a way I never have.

One day far down the road, maybe Grace and Josephine will find themselves as 22 year women, sorting through the next phase of their lives, dreaming of big dreams and unfamiliar places.  I hope that wherever those dreams take them, they know that they should absolutely go do it. But most of all, I hope they know that when it comes down to it, it’s not where you are, but who you’re with, that matters most. <3