My first thought to this was: YES. ITS BEN'S GAME!

Adam is going to be setting it up on the main tv tonight and I don't have soccer carpool responsibilities 💀 Dino and Mech Times!

And seriously- I could travel domestically a few times a year to places on the money we save- as a whole family or not. I can't imagine how I would have been able to afford to take the family on vacations on the Austin budget. Or afford travel soccer 🫠

specifically- a lot of options for schools- and we checked city growth levels, # of families, etc and then cross referenced this to airports and distance to the beach 😅 and then really hoped the restaurants would get better (they did- took awhile though). And we bought a home we loved and wanted.

In a few ways, mostly practical ways, our move was for us. But really at the heart of our move was trying to give something very specific to our kids. It was something WE had growing up in very very small towns. We picked a town that had the types of schools we thought our kids would need -

And the youngest has been friends with his group of besties since elementary school- 1 of them since kindergarten, and other 4 of them since 3rd grade and they all went off to the same middle and high school together. They will probably stand at each other's weddings someday.

But this is also true for the boys- we came when my oldest was 5 and my youngest was 3. The oldest is friends with kids who were in his kindergarten class- like the other fastest 800m 9th grader and his travel soccer teammate that is in our carpool- thats the kindergarten friend.

Whenever I second guessed my choice- I was like "I moved to a place where people are going to stay for decades. It might take me half a decade to make a friend but they will not be leaving anytime soon. So once a friend is made- it is made for life."

I traded weather I loved, parks I loved, running trails I loved, restaurants I loved... for kindergarten friends my boys will graduate high school with, the great lakes, so much nature, summers to look forward to, seasons, and houses built to withstand those seasons (houses in TX are shit)

That meant that kids were moving all over with their parents all the time. Most weren't Texans, most weren't staying. I wanted my kids to be in a place where maybe someone in preschool or kinder would graduate with them someday. Not a small town but a place where people stayed.

I figured I couldn't love a place if I didn't know a place. and I couldn't love it if I didn't understand it- or like my relationship with it. I hate being cold but also I hate being inside so how in the world can I do winters? Most important- the city I loved, Austin, was a transplant city-

I got 3 pairs of boots, snow pants, 3 different winter coats for exactly what I wanted and needed. I got full beach gear, a trampoline for the boys, I painted my walls, got rid of the boxes in the basement, and volunteered at school. I learned the roads and stopped mapping myself everywhere.

I wasn't sure if we were making the right decision when we left- and I cried that whole first day driving out.

And I wasn't sure if it was the right decision in year 1 or year 2. I kept thinking we might end up leaving and trying someplace different.

And then I decided to make it home.

So my experience is actually in leaving Austin, which I loved that city SO much... but I love Michigan. I love the flexibility financially to really do SO much more. I miss Austin and I have been gone for nearly 10 years-

But I've worked hard to find similar joy in a place here. It wasn't instant.