Tomorrow marks our last day living in DC/Northern Virginia. Spending last night in a totally empty house was pretty weird, not gunna lie. It feels like just yesterday I was writing this post when we were moving from our beloved Richmond, VA. Then again, it kind of feels like eternity too even though it was only one year ago.
Sullivan and the dogs on our rental front porch before Dada took the pups to the lake in SC!
As a refresh, we moved to the DC area when my husband took a new job within the company we both work/ed for because his new team was located in the NoVA office. It was the job he had his eyes set on within the company, so we decided as a family to take the leap so he could pursue his dream and provide for our family in a better way. Also keep in mind I was SUPER preggers when we made this decision and then Sully was only twelve weeks old when we moved. To put it lightly, the weeks leading up to and right after the move from RVA to DC were hell. That said, I’m at peace with our decision and here’s why.
We never, ever would have gotten the career opportunities we’re now presented with if we hadn’t moved. My husband and I both have worked very hard to get where we are in our careers and the benefits we’re seeing from just one year of big city experience are astounding. I transferred jobs within our company while up here too and now I have a career I’ve wanted for a quite some time.
Not to mention, we met our wonderful nanny Wendy who loves Sullivan like she’s her own. She has helped Sully grow and excel in her first little year of life more than we ever could have imagined. We’ll try out the daycare route once we’re in Charleston, but having the 2:1 ration of children to nanny this first year within our home through our nanny share has been amazing. We’re going to miss Wendy and Sully’s bestie (whose Mom blogs here) a lot!
We also met some really great people (looking at you Classic Catherine) that will be our friends for life! And we had lots of folks visit us from afar, so we got in quite a lot of DC tourist sites in just one year. In fact, on that note, I'm certainly feeling more cultured since living here which is pretty refreshing.
It’s still a no-brainer moving to Charleston with the opportunity that has presented itself to Ryan and I think it will be a wonderful next step. Having a little one really makes you realize how much you need a solid tribe of friends and family nearby. And our tribe mostly happen to be in South Carolina.
All in all, I’m looking back on our time here with a rough-around-the-edges fondness :). It strengthened our relationship, showed me how strong I really am, gave us a lesson in resiliency and propelled us forward at a rate we never could have imagined. I guess this is all to say that I will miss DC a little bit, but am happy it will soon be a memory (in a good way!).
Taken on a weekday with minimal tourists - proof for Sully she really did live in our Nation's Capital.
Recently someone asked me on Snapchat (name, ephilli) if I would recommend moving here and I do think that I would recommend a big city experience to anyone looking to broaden their horizons and move forward their career. I would just say be thoughtful on your timing and set expectations that it’s ok not to be 100% happy all at once because change is scary (remember this post).
Thanks for reading and coming along with us in our journey, see you soon Charleston!
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