A couple weeks ago, we announced the difficult decision we made to leave our dream home here in Idaho – the house we thought was our “forever house;” the house we are inching more closely to finishing every day – for a warmer, more temperate climate where I can get better care and hopefully have a better quality of life. (We shared more about the why’s in this post if you’re interested.) At the time we weren’t ready to share exactly where we were moving because it was such a personal decision for personal reasons, and we didn’t want too many outside opinions clouding our thoughts on where that was going to be.
But now that we know for sure (aka, are under contract on a house!), we wanted to share that we’ll be moving to Raleigh, North Carolina! EEEee!! Did you guess it? There were so many guesses as to where we were moving and a few of you even spotted a few easter eggs in stories (you detectives!), but it was fun to hear so many suggestions of places all over the country where you have found a sense of home.
We considered so many different cities and even made a huge spreadsheet–Charlotte, Nashville, Oklahoma City, Southern California, Dallas, Austin, Charleston, Scottsdale, Mesa, Asheville–but for us and our needs and wants, Raleigh hit nearly every mark. An amazing medical hub, affordable living, the weather! (we love that we can still experience all four seasons but a much more mild winter), being close to the mountains and beach, education and the green rolling hills all attracted us to the area.
If you’ve been reading for awhile, you’ve probably heard us mention moving to North Carolina before. It was shortly after having Polly, when my condition started getting worse, that my doctors recommended living in a more temperate climate. We started looking into it, but it felt impossible and hard and we really didn’t want to leave this area, our family, or our friends. More recently, and after a particularly hard winter, we came to realize that a “forever home” wasn’t a structure, it was our three girls and Chris and me and wherever we go together, that’s home.
Over the last 7ish weeks, we have been scouting areas and homes in Raleigh and spent 2 separate weekends there officially house hunting. Our first trip was in early February and no one besides our team and our immediate family even knew that our move there was probable. Even though we talked about it, I imagined visiting with a “this could be our new home” mindset would be totally different and I wanted to give ourselves some time to make sure it was right. As we were driving around, it didn’t take long before the comforting feeling–we could live here–set in. It just felt right and good and warm and happy and a lot of those nervous, scared, worried feelings melted away.
To be clear–a big change is never going to be easy. I’ve definitely cried a lot at the thought of what we are going to be leaving behind. But we’re so confident and excited about what’s in our near future in Raleigh. It was really comforting to know that I could feel at home in a different state. In a new place. In a different climate. In a different house.
And speaking of home–we are under contract on a new-to-us house in Raleigh! We won’t be closing until May, and are anxious to introduce you to our new house then! Stay tuned.
Congratulations on your decision to move to Raleigh! Your journey and thoughtful consideration of the move are truly inspiring. Wishing you a smooth transition and lots of happiness in your new home. Excited to hear more about it in May!
Glad you you found your new city & are happy with it! The house you’re leaving is lovely after all the transformation but can’t imagine why anyone would want to live in the Idaho Falls area – there’s nothing attractive about it & in the middle of nowhere…blech!
Ohh Idaho Falls is so close to so many amazing natural parks. Lots of outdoorsy things to do. Also, some people like the slow life.
Welcome!
I am a transplant from the north shore of Chicago for 20 yrs now! I remember flying out of O’Hare and in to RDU wondering where the heck is everything? I met my husband online and moved here with my son to live here. (Forehead slap!) It took me a very long time to get used to it here! I left my whole life/family in Chicago for a man (now hubby) & rural area in between Raleigh and Fayetteville. I cried when our town got a Lowe’s store! Anyway, just know Raleigh has crazy one way streets, yellow and chartreuse pollen (right now for weeks! ) and lots of new home building everywhere and road construction on I-40! And your kids will have days off school when it snows and will be let out early when it rains hard. Hahaha. If you value your life, do not drive here when it snows! Period! Also, someone said you have RA and if that’s true, my husband battles it as well and we’ve come to the conclusion that no doctor really has an answer for it…switching meds 4 times now hasn’t been fun. He goes to UNC and they’ve built a remarkable set up in Chapel Hill! State of the art stuff. Go Heels!
I hear old Raleigh is all that. We basically just stay in our little darling abode and watch the crazy thunderstorms from our rockers on our front porch…like in Mayberry????
Enjoy! And feel better!!
As a born and bred life-long North Carolinian, I can say welcome. We’re happy to have you.
I live in Raleigh!! I also moved here on purpose back in 2008. It’s the BEST place to live, hands down, and I’ve moved a lot :)
I would love to know if you’re planning on having some sort of meet up once you move here, I just had my first baby 3 months ago and I’m always looking for some new mom friends with similar interests!