A little over six months ago, we made a big change: We moved our family down South to Virginia Beach from Long Island, New York. We thought long and hard, weighing pros and cons, and ultimately asked ourselves, if not now, when?
For as long as I can remember, we dreamt of moving a little down South to a warmer climate and lower cost of living. Growing up, I’d always hear that New York City is where the money and opportunity are. The older I got the more I wondered — but at what cost?
The New York City area’s high cost of living, overpopulation, long commutes, and gridlock traffic did not feel like the life we wanted for our family. So we finally came full-circle to where Tim was stationed when we met: Virginia Beach. It is a place that felt familiar enough, with booming development but not overdeveloped, a strong military veteran community, and where friends from the military still lived.
Our move came with a lot of different emotions – and reactions. Some people were not surprised at all. Others were surprised about where we’d chosen because Florida had been on my mind for so long. (If you remember this post revisiting my five-year plan, it was about moving to Florida, which we ultimately decided wasn’t the best location for our family.)
A few people said they were surprised altogether, not foreseeing a move that far away – despite us discussing moving for years (here we are in Virginia Beach in 2021, a trip during which Tim looked at houses). I think it was their way of coping with their sadness. As a mom of four kids, however, I realized my responsibility is to manage my own emotions and help my children through their feelings about such a big move.
Looking back, I am still shocked – and very proud – we were able to purge, pack up a house on our own, and move with our four small kids. We pulled off what felt impossible at times. If nothing else, the experience showed me what we are capable of. It gave me the confidence to know we would be okay on our own away from my family, which was initially a very emotional and scary prospect and the biggest reason we stayed in New York so long.
Six months into our move, I am more than content with our decision. It’s given us what we were looking for and more. And guess what? Despite being 365 miles away from New York City, there’s money and opportunity here, too.
Oh, and my cousin, who’s more like my sister, made the move with us! She lives on her own and loves it down here, too. Having family with us has helped with the transition.
We look forward to all the memories we’ll make together here.
