"I heard you’re doing something crazy!"
That’s what a co-worker yelled out at me as I swiftly walked down the hall at work. I froze, wondering who the person was talking to. The person was talking to me. I smiled, knowing exactly why the person said that. For a split second, under that smile, I wondered to myself whether I really was crazy for uprooting my family and moving all the way to Northern Virginia (NOVA)?
As of Sept 26th, we are right in the middle of completing this transition. I am currently in Ohio awaiting the movers to pack our household goods and load up in the morning. The family is in VA living out of a hotel that we have been in for the past 3 weeks. Don’t worry, the townhouse we will be renting will be available until Oct 1, and we cannot wait!
How would I describe the transition thus far...."liberating."
I use the word liberating because from the outside looking in, it’s crazy, but at the same time, it has given us an experience and a new foundation we can build upon to do something even crazier. Those who know me, know that I am a calculated person. This move however, although I admit was not thoroughly planned and calculated (first presented this idea to wifey on a Friday 4/20/18 at lunch), feels very right. Time will tell whether this is a great decision, but regardless, it was a liberating and atypical one for me. I know we will make the best of the situation and continue to grow as a family. We will live our lives, focus on things we want to achieve and offer to our family and to the world, and most importantly we will be happy!
Oh yes, back to liberating. For me [I’ll let wifey speak for herself], there is a sense of calm, joy, and a new perspective on life. Maybe it is a feeling of being financially free (we will be debt free with the sale of our house). Maybe it is the notion that we made a huge decision without the years of pre-planning warranted for such a change. Maybe it is the realization that my family was able to make a move like this and take on a enormous life change/opportunity with limited worry! The years of good decisions and habit forming have truly enabled higher margin for risk.
From the point of accepting the job and preparing for a move, to the house hunting trip in NOVA (Aug 18th), there were many sleepless nights, heated discussions, and miscommunication. What I've realize during this transition is that the hard part is over, I am letting go. I am trusting the training (the process of getting to the transition and completing the move) because there is very little I can do at this point. We obviously have a plan, but more importantly we are mentally prepared to adjust the plan in the event we encounter something we didn't foresee. I am thankful for the flexibility my employer has provided me to handle uncertainty, so I can make sure the family is taken care of. I am even more thankful for the choices we’ve made as a family over the years that afforded the flexibility to take on this monumental opportunity.
Today I signed the closing documents on our house, inching us 25% closer to officially selling the house that contains so many memories for the Lightfoot family. It was not easy leaving this house because of the memories, but over time I hope we realize that it was/is the people in the house, rather than the house itself, that is the critical element to those wonderful memories.
So, for now I am going to enjoy this "crazy" moment and hope others use my experience as motivation to "do something crazy."