About a month ago I moved. . . to Connecticut. Crazy huh? Some people thought the move was out of the blue and a completely random decision. But it was a long time coming and something John and I both feel really good about. Here's the story.
First things first. John and I have always planned on leaving Utah. We knew that we did not want to raise a family there. It just wasn't an atmosphere either of us loved. Yes we both worked there, but in the grand scheme of things we knew that one day we wanted to find a way to leave. Utah is a great state. It's beautiful and the people are overwhelmingly friendly. But they are also extremely religious. And can be extremely judgmental of you if you do not practice the core religion of the state. Nothing seems to be open on Sundays, and buying a bottle of wine is WAY more inconvenient than it should be. Visiting Utah isn't so bad. But living there just wasn't something we wanted to do long term. But honestly I was scared to leave the security blanket I had. I had a great job working for an amazing company. I could see myself working at Big Mountain for years. I had family there. While I didn't see my family every day, it was nice to know that whenever I wanted to eat lunch with my sisters or go visit my grandparents I just had to pick up the phone. Leaving all of that behind on a whim just didn't seem like the smart thing to do.
Fast forward to a few months ago (I think it was right around labor day). John tells me he is ready to leave his job. As some of you may know there have been issues with his now previous employer. Pay checks weren't reliable and the work was tedious. Working without knowing if you will get paid or if the check will bounce is no fun. I was surprised that John stuck with it for as long as he did. After NUMEROUS bounced checks and/or "can you pick up your check that I am supposed to give you today in a week or 2"'s I thought for sure John would leave. But he stuck it out for a couple months longer than I would have. Painting miniatures is not an easy task. It requires an intense level of attention to detail. It hurts your back, strains your eyes, and overall just gets exhausting after 3 years. So now we had a decision to make. Do we stay in Utah where I have a job but John doesn't or do we take the chance to move now?
John and I really agonized over the decision for a good month or so. We talked to his parents, who are extremely well connected in Connecticut. We weighed the pro's and con's of moving. Would we be able to afford a move? Where would we live? What would we do for work? What about our lease? All of these factored in to our decision. At the end of the day (or, you know, a month) we decided now was the time to move. We knew that there was a good chance John's parents could use those connections to get us jobs (which they have. YAY JOBS). John's dad said we could stay at his house as long as we pay rent. ( There is a lot more to that, but it is way too complicated and almost warrants it's own post). We just felt a better opportunity wouldn't present itself. Now was the time. So I gave Big Mountain notice and we packed up.
The drive to Connecticut was crazy. Driving 2 cars with 3 dogs and all of our stuff 2/3 of the way across the country is no easy task. There were tears and frustrations but we made it safe and sound. And I'd like to think we are settling in nicely. John is working full-time. I am currently working part time as a receptionist at a salon and, just today, accepted my first 2 assignments as a substitute teacher. I finally feel like we are starting to find the lives we have always wanted. While substituting isn't exactly teaching full time, it will give me the feel for the classroom environment. I feel like this will be a good gauge as to whether or not teaching really is what I want to do with my life. And having John finally work a normal 9-5 job with a steady, RELIABLE paycheck is FANTASTIC.
While it has been an adjustment, I know we will settle in nicely and that Connecticut will feel like home soon enough. It hasn't sunk in yet, but I'm sure it's only a matter of time.
