It's been a while. In fact, a lifetime. But change is good and often needed.
After 35 years of living in the northeastern part of the United States, it's finally time to say goodbye. We are looking forward to greener pastures (literally), warmer weather, and a new beginning for our family in a place that better suits us.
We are moving to Florida!!!
If you know me personally or follow me on social media, you know my husband and I have been looking for quite some time now. We've always romanticized moving south, as many people from this area often do (especially during the long, dreary, cold winters). For years, I imagined what it would be like to open a second location for my business, or maybe even relocate it. Once the pandemic hit this region (hard), everything changed. Customer behavior shifted, my office space became inaccessible due to local mandates, and I was faced with the difficult reality of not being able to provide in-person services in order to make a living. My world was rocked. But after the dust finally settled, a new way of thinking came over me, and I realized I was actually free now. Free to go where I wanted. Free to change how I did things. Free to adjust my business offerings. Free to shift my priorities. Free from the responsibilities that come with a brick-and-mortar location. Free from the mounting expenses of running a company requiring multiple rooms, staff, expensive equipment, vendors, etc. And most of all, free to spend more time with my new family - which consisted of just me and my boyfriend pre-Covid, to now having a husband and three young children post-Covid.
It feels like my eyes opened up for the first time ever. I saw everything so clearly now. I look back and feel like I'd been brainwashed and conditioned into my former way of thinking. I was trapped. But who was trapping me? It's as if I'd trapped myself somehow. I'd always felt like I couldn't ever leave the NYC area. If you're from this part of the country, maybe you also understand. We're taught to think it's the best place on Earth; that we have it all here. Why would you ever want to leave? Where would you go? You can never come back! The people aren't the same! Yeah, you know what... they aren't. And I'm starting to think that's a good thing. We are so uptight, so entitled, so rigid here. We're always in a rush, we're always demanding, or complaining, or pissed off. (Obviously I'm "painting with a broad brush" here, but you know what I mean.) We're freezing cold half the year under gray skies. If you're not from Manhattan, there's truly not that much to do, especially where I live in Southern CT. Everything here is insanely expensive. The cost of living is nuts, taxes are high, quality of life is low in exchange, and the overall political climate and policies are polarizing, at best. Before coming back to Stamford, I lived in Boston during my college years. A lot of fun was had during that time, but it was overall truly not that much different of a place. (Besides worse accents? Ha!)
We tossed around a few different places we could move to over the last several years, and decided Florida checked the most boxes. We house-hunted in Naples initially, but found it wasn't quite a fit. Our research brought us more north (after deciding the Miami area - where I spent a lot of time growing up with family - wasn't where we wanted to be), and we decided to take another trip down to see what the Tampa Bay area had to offer. We fell in love!
Tampa has everything we're looking for. From the beautiful gulf coastline, to vibrant communities, lots of culture, a bustling city with adjacent suburbs, beach towns, and rural landscapes. It's so family-friendly, with tons of nature to explore, things to do, and opportunities for our kids to grow up in a place we feel is more conducive to the childhood we want for them.
On the same exact day that we welcomed our third daughter into the world, our house went on the market. (Somewhat serendipitously, as we'd made the decision weeks prior, but that's when our realtor ended up doing it!) It all just feels right, and things are starting to fall into place, piece by piece. We have a lifetime of memories in the tri-state area, but it's time for a new place to call home.
If all goes to plan, we'll be making the transition this winter, and spend the coming months enjoying one final holiday season living up here with family and friends. It is surreal to start selling furniture, making trunk-loads of donation trips, and beginning to pack up our lives. My husband and I are both born here, and are now leave together as our own family of five.
Life happens fast. The years are gone before you know it. We're not going to let another season pass us by knowing where we want to be. You never know what the future will hold, and it's worth it to do the hard thing, the scary thing, the uncomfortable thing... if it will make life better for yourself (and your family). So many people know this, but are afraid of change - or they talk a big game, but never actually have the guts to take action. We are not those people, not in any aspect of our lives. We go for things. We take chances. We know we can design our lives however we want. I don't know what the future will look like way down the line, but I do know that the most beautiful adventure is about to start - and I'm so excited to take you along for the ride!
As you know, I'm an open book, and happy to share what happens throughout this journey. From relocating with 3-under-3, to finding our dream home, decorating, running a fully remote business, homeschooling our kids, growing our own food, embracing true farm-to-table nutrition, and building an entirely new life somewhere we've never lived before... there's so much to look forward to! Follow on social media @XtineElise, and check back on the blog and podcast for regular updates.
Cheers to letting go of the familiar, and embracing what is to come! Sunshine State: we are ready for you! Xx