In case you missed it …
Against popular belief, the announcement that we are moving to New York in last week’s Friday Favorites post was not an April Fools’ joke.
Scott, the fur kids and I are, in fact, moving to the NYC area … tomorrow!
After letting our family and friends in on our decision, we have received all different kinds of reactions. Some think it’s awesome while others think we’re crazy. I get it, and to be honest, I was on the crazy side just a few months ago.
It’s hard to say what you would do in a situation like ours unless you’re actually living it.
For those of you who are newer to the blog or unfamiliar with our story, here’s the quickest summary I can give:
Boy meets girl while working together in Orlando, Florida. Girl falls for boy. Boy has a successful career in entertainment, and he shares that if they ever got serious enough to get married, girl would have to accept the fact that he follows the opportunities, wherever and whenever they may be. Girl states that she will never leave her home state, she will never live where it snows, and the two laugh it off any time it comes up.
Three years later, boy gets laid off at work. After over a year of wedding planning, boy and girl get married two weeks later. After a year and a half of constantly looking for the right job, boy gets an offer in Metro Detroit, Michigan. Girl reluctantly moves away from everything she knows for boy’s job, but she finally realizes that it’s okay to explore life outside of her Southern bubble.
Three and a half years later, boy gets laid off said great job (again), and the two are left to decide where to go next. After four months of looking for the right job, nothing comes through. After a specific “in the bag” job both girl and boy thought they would be moving out West for falls through, they are at a loss. Boy mentions the idea of going where the most opportunities in entertainment and fitness are, and the two spend months researching different cities, costs of living, and take trips to see what it’s like from a local perspective.
Boy and girl are completely overwhelmed. The decision is impossible to make, and it’s tempting to return home to where girl is from. She’s comfortable there, but what about boy’s job? They’ve been jobless (while actively looking) for over a year there before. It’s hard. It’s stressful. And it requires a lot of prayer and patience.
After many, many conversations together and with friends who have fallen for the city life, girl and boy decide to move to New York!
The New York City area has always been an exciting place to work, but girl has had reservations. It wasn’t until their last trip to the city when girl actually saw herself living there. Working in the city is appealing, but living outside of it in a more spacious, greener environment seems perfect.
Neither boy or girl will have a car (hence, no car payments), and this is wonderful thing. Girl hates driving, especially in the snow and in traffic. Girl used to be afraid of relying on public transportation until she actually gave it a chance, and in turn, she realized this is also a wonderful thing. Both girl and boy are looking forward to walking to basically anything, any time of the day.
I guess that catches us up!
Like I mentioned above, coming up with the idea to move to the NYC area didn’t happen overnight.
Yes, we know how much it costs to live near the city. Yes, we realize that we won’t be driving cars. Yes, we still plan on starting a family. Yes, we are taking a risk … but it’s calculated.
The extremely high cost of living comes with endless opportunities for Scott and I in both of our careers. If you happen to get laid off, there are plenty of other jobs right around the corner. Literally.
As scary as it sounds, making our next move a move to the Northeast just makes the most sense. We gave away a lot (and sold a ton, thanks to Craigslist!) in order to downsize, and we are keeping what we want for a future home in storage. Finding new homes for things we won’t really miss feels liberating. It’s like the best Spring Clean ever.
On top of all of that, we already have more than a handful of friends who live throughout the different boroughs. My very best friend from middle school has been living just outside the city and working as a professional dancer on Broadway for over ten years!
The thought of being just a subway ride away from her and others makes me so happy.
We are currently in the process of locking down a place to call home, and in the meantime, we are very grateful for friends who have graciously offered a temporary home to us. (We’ve been searching high and low for months, but it’s nearly impossible to snag an apartment without actually being there in person to do so.)
As much as I want to settle down into a nice sized home and fall into more of a quiet life and routine, there is a part of me that has always wanted to live in a big city. Go big or go home, right?
I’m nervous, but I’m way more excited to see how this adventure pans out for us and our future.
Thank you for all of your encouraging comments related towards our move, and I am absolutely elated to share our journey with you.
As you can imagine, there is a lot to do and only hours left in Michigan to do it in. We hired zero help for this move, so we are packing, moving, and driving a U-Haul over to the Big Apple. We plan to depart sometime Wednesday morning with coffees in hand and fur kids on our laps. It will be interesting, I’m sure.
We will be spending the majority of our first few days (hopefully not weeks) looking for an apartment, so I probably won’t be able to check back in until Friday. You can always get a sneak peek into what we’re up to by following LIL on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat (username: lifenleggings).
I wish you all a great rest of the week.
Thanks again for your sweet comments, and I’ll see you in New York!
![[in our elementary school era] 🚌😭
Skyler did great walking into KINDERGARTEN with a big smile on his face this morning. I, however, was a bit of a mess on our walk home. 🥹
It’s wild how fast these 5 years with him have gone … 7 since we moved to NYC and into our apartment, dreaming of the day our kids would someday go to the *awesome* school right down our block. 🏫
That day is today, and I still don’t believe it — feeling allll of the emotions and thanking God for placing us here and for being able to trust His timing through the journey. 🫶🏼 #hbshinnyc
SO proud of you, SK - you are going to rock your first year at your “big boy school” - WE LOVE YOU !! 🩵👑](https://lifeinleggings.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png)
CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!
What an exciting move for you both – wishing you all the success and happiness and looking forward to following your new adventure x
Caley recently posted…Confessional Thursday
Best of luck to you! Can’t wait to follow along on your exciting journey!
Yay I’m so excited for you! And it sounds like we are going through very similar changes at the same time. Cleaning out a ton of things, putting important things in storage and selling the rest was so freeing. And I’m with you – I cannot wait to be able to walk to anything and everything. It feels like such an easy and fun way to have a healthier day to day lifestyle when you take a car out of the picture. Looking forward to seeing more parallels in your Big Apple adventures to my Windy City ones!
What an exciting time for the both of you! GOOD LUCK!
Sana recently posted…Where To Park To See The D.C Cherry Blossoms?
Yay! So happy for you guys. City living is a whole different perspective on life. I think you will fit right in and much quicker than you think! 🙂 can’t wait to hear all the adventures! Safe travels!
How exciting for you and Scott! Wishing you all a smooth move with all the fur babies and the distance. Hopefully this crazy weather doesn’t impact your travel plans too much. Can’t wait to hear about all the exciting things in store for you both!
Allison Keskimaki recently posted…Numbers
So happy for you and Scott for taking an amazing leap towards something new!! Although I’ll miss all your Michigan posts since I always found new places to eat and places to visit through you, I am so excited to follow your journey in a new city! Best of luck with your move 🙂
Brie @ Lean, Clean, & Brie recently posted…Black Bean Tuna Collard Green Wrap
Congratulations! We just moved back to NYC for round 2 and are happier than ever before. We live in Brooklyn if you have any questions feel free to email me – healthyhappierbear at gmail dot com. 🙂
Moving to New York will be so exciting! I’m happy to hear that you and Scott are taking a leap of faith. The best moments that happen in life tend to be when you take a risk and jump into the unknown. You two are sure to do great. Safe travels!
So thrilled for you! I’m a trainer in NYC (I emailed you – hopefully you got/get it!) and would be happy to put you in touch with some great people in the fitness industry here (though I’m sure you already know tons, never hurts to know more!)
Yay, congrats on the big move! How exciting – wishing you the best of luck!
What an exciting opportunity. I love that you guys are willing to take some big risks and I look forward to following your New York adventures.
Jen @ Pretty Little Grub recently posted…Mizuno Wave Catalyst Review
All the best in the move! NYC will be lucky to have you guys!! I still think it’s crazy how we switched places!! I hope the apartment hunting goes good and you lock in something soon! Can’t wait to follow this new adventure of yours 🙂
Yay, this is so exciting! Safe travels!
Kelly @ Kelly Runs For Food recently posted…Friday Favorites 4.1.16
So excited for you. New York is such an amazing city. Good luck. Looking forward to hearing about your adventures in the Big Apple.
Lauren @ The Bikini Experiment recently posted…Coconut Chia Strawberry Smoothie
Congratulations, and welcome to New York! Do you know where in the boroughs you might be apartment hunting? I ultimately want to go back to the ‘burbs when I get married and have kids, but I am loving life in Manhattan for now and having Central Park nearby helps a LOT with that. So many suggestions for you!
Good Luck! Sometimes I wish I could just move and start over. I know its scary, but but on the other hand, how lucky you are to be able to pick up and move right now in your life!
So incredibly proud and happy for you both! Can’t wait to see and hopefully be a part of the adventures ahead 🙂 ❤️
This is so exciting! Congratulations! I’m so excited to keep reading about your guys’ journeys:) My best friend moved to New York last year and she loves it. I really want to visit her soon since I’ve never been to NYC. It’s strange.. the older I get the more and more I’m enjoying big cities. I thought it would be the other way around! Haha.
Amanda @ Exploring Life & Things recently posted…Make a Difference 5k Race Recap
congrats!! it will be such a fun next chapter of your life! You got to take risks in life otherwise you will live with regret and what if’s and that is no fun!
kaitlin @4loveofcarrots recently posted…Gluten Free Turkey Lasagna
how exciting! We’ll be moving to DC from Michigan in the fall. I hope to spend as much time in NY as possible – we’ll be so much closer. It’s such a fantastic city. Congrats & good luck!
Sarah
@ The Midwest Darling
Yayyyy so exiting! Good luck with the move and apartment hunting. We live in the suburbs of DC and I always wish I lived within walking distance of shops and restaurants.
Patricia @ Sweet and Strong recently posted…Total Body Cardio and Strength Workout
Heather you and Scott ARE doing the right thing! hopefully opportunities will arise for you both in NY, but if not you still did the right thing because you took the chance, grabbed the opportunity and gave it a go! you didn’t let fear stand in your way and therefore neither of you will live in regret.
I know what it is like to make a big scary move, granted we moved to the other side of the world (!) but it’s still hard to leave somewhere you are comfortable and use your courage to make a change. We are living a dream and are so glad we decided to be brave.
Keep strong and brave, trust your gut and go out there and seek your dreams 🙂
Jen @ Chase the Red Grape recently posted…5 Top Tips on a Tuesday – Starting CrossFit
So you excited for you!
So excited for you guys! Can’t wait to see what the future holds. I think it’s really cool that you’re taking a leap and seeing what happens. Things don’t always have to be 100% in place for it to work out in the long run. Do you know what borough(s) you’re looking in? Can’t wait to hear!
Sam @ Barrister’s Beet recently posted…The Healthiest Food Shortcuts
SO exciting! I’ve lived in NYC for 7+ years and there’s really nothing like it. Looking forward to reading about your adventures here
I particulaly love this post ! Wish you all the best sweet Heather
Congrats! Looking forwards to reading about your new adventures!
That’s so exciting, and I’m so jealous! New York seems like such an exciting place to live, I haven’t even gotten to visit yet, but I will! I’m a first time visitor, I really like your style 🙂
I know you know this, but I am just so happy for you. You are going to be in the heart of one of the most amazing places in the country. You will be surrounded by opportunity. Best of luck to all!
Susie @ SuzLyfe recently posted…Essential Foods and Drinks (Friday Five + Favorites)
Thanks Susie!! It’s so nice to feel the support and love from blogging buds. <3 We are really excited!
I am beyond excited for you two!! Can’t wait to hear about your journey!! 🙂
April V recently posted…So Good You’ll Slap Your Mama!
It will be a tremendous blessing to be able to follow along on your adventure in NYC! <3
Emily Swanson (@Emily11949309) recently posted…Is Your Body Worthy of Worship?
Thank you so much for following, Emily!
You’ll do great in NYC!!!
Thanks Olena!