Four years ago MacKay and I packed up our house in Tampa for the start of a new adventure as a family of three in New York City. I had only been to Manhattan a few times before our move and never imagined myself to be a resident.
When we first made our move we thought we were going to hate this place. We never imagined we could raise a child (much less children) in the city. It will be much too challenging, I thought to myself. We gave ourselves a year and then we would find a nice little house in the suburbs to settle down.
Much to our surprise, MacKay and I fell in love with this city. Yes, it was more challenging than we ever thought, but it’s made us grow both as individuals and as parents. Manhattan could not have been a better playground for our three children. The culture, education, and diversity have all contributed in making a great foundation for their lives.
But now that they have that solid foundation, it’s time to build upon it somewhere else. Three years after our one year “deadline,” we are officially saying goodbye to this city and starting a new adventure in the suburbs.
Shortly after we found out we were pregnant with Macks, MacKay and I had the conversation about whether or not to move. We told ourselves we would make it work because we loved living here. Well, nearly four months after welcoming Macks, we decided it would be best to find something bigger to settle down in.
The walls of our apartment are slowly closing in on us. Just going to Duane Reade with all three kids requires much preparation and it’s just one block away. The girls have been begging for a backyard. Running around the apartment not only drives me crazy, but our downstairs neighbors haven’t been too thrilled either. During the week we don’t utilize the city as much as we would like. It’s usually just daily routine of preschool, naps, and errands. Much of which will be done the exact same way in the suburbs.
Our adventures in the city are far from over. We are just an hour away and MacKay is still commuting in for work everyday. We plan on taking a weekend a month to come in and really take advantage of the wonderful things the city has to offer. This will allow us to see the city with a new set of eyes, rather than just a place of daily routine.
We’ve gone through the mourning process and I’m sure that there will be more once we officially make the move, but for now we are so excited to start this new chapter of our lives. We found a house in Connecticut and officially close this Friday! It’s been so long since we’ve lived the suburban life, but I can’t wait to start all over again, now with our family of five.
A lot of my close family and friends have asked about the future of the blog now that I am no longer that “mommy in the city.” To be honest, I’m not sure where it will go. I’ve thought about rebranding, I’ve thought about keeping it, but I’m just not sure. I know that eventually I will find an answer and a direction to where it will go. (Would love your advice/input as well.)
For now I am so excited to take on new things such as planning Macks’ nursery, a playroom for the kids, picking out a car, and fun summer things for our backyard! Of course, I’ll be sharing things along the way.
Ernie Hawell said, “It’s time to say goodbye, but I think goodbyes are sad and I’d much rather say hello. Hello to a new adventure.” This is not goodbye to a city that has become so much a part of us, it’s hello to a new place that will help shape us as well.
Photo via the amazing Lindsey Belle
