2020 has been quite a wild ride. It was almost a year ago that I announced on the blog that we were planning our big move to NYC. I still can’t believe I’m typing these words and saying that we’re moving again this year. I never would have thought that we’d be leaving the city so soon.
WHY WE’RE MOVING:
When Nathan and I made plans to move to NYC from Austin, Texas, we never imagined that we would be leaving within the same year that we moved to the city. This past year has brought with it a lot of experiences (both good and bad) that I feel as though have only been magnified through experiencing them in NYC. 2020 has really caused us to shift our focus, as I’m sure it has for most of you too, and reevaluate what we want most out of life. I shared a little more about our decision to leave the city over on Instagram, and trust me when I say it was truly one of the hardest decisions we’ve ever had to make. We both love New York so much and saying goodbye to it so soon is leaving us so heartbroken. We’ve had so many amazing adventures here. We did long distance while I was living in NYC (back in 2016) and Nate was in Texas and spent that year exploring the city. We got married here last year in May of 2019! We spent part of our first year of marriage here in 2020 in our Upper West Side apartment. But to be truthfully honest, this hasn’t been the same New York this year. It’s been so sad to see one of our favorite cities in the world completely change overnight.
As much as we hate to say goodbye to the city that has brought us so much joy, we know that it will always be here for us to visit. And that it will always be in our hearts and a part of us. A part of our story. Anytime I get sad about saying goodbye to NYC, I keep reminding myself of all the wonderful things that we’ll be gaining with our move. Being closer to family, having a place to set-up roots for our own future family, becoming part of a community, being in the same city as close friends, focusing on well-being, and living life with intention.
HOW WE CHOSE COLORADO:
THE MOUNTAINS ARE CALLING US. Nathan and I both love Colorado and have always dreamed about the idea of living closer to nature. If it’s one thing we learned this year, it’s that we’re seriously craving more of the outdoors!! (We’ve had so many Central Park days in the city this year, and have been escaping upstate any chance we get!) We considered heading back to Austin, but have always loved a great adventure and are eager to try Colorado. We truly feel it will be a great place to start new, a great place to raise a family, and also love that we’ll be within driving distance to family and friends in Texas.
Nate has a lot of great friends in Colorado too, and they kept telling us to visit/move there even while we were still living in Austin! We truly can’t wait for fresh mountain air, full seasons, beautiful views, and a new place to call home. A new place to make our own.
WHEN WE’RE MOVING:
As of right now, we’re planning to move before the year is up. Still, TBD on the month, but we’re currently making plans to get everything ready before we leave the city. The saddest part about leaving NYC was telling our landlord. He is the sweetest man ever and has become our Italian grandpa here. I will miss him dearly. We’re also sad to leave our beautiful neighborhood. We were so fortunate when we found our apartment because it was everything we could have wanted and more! The best location (1 block from Central Park), beautiful windows with so much natural light, and the best neighborhood. We’ve loved living on the Upper West Side SO much. I’ll miss my morning, evening, and afternoon walks here and our spontaneous picnics in Central Park.
WHAT WE’LL WILL MISS ABOUT NEW YORK:
Everything. Our favorite restaurants, Central Park, access to so many beautiful museums and art galleries. The energy and pulse of the city. The bodegas and their beautiful blooms. My sweet friends. My Italian grandpa landlord. The taxis, the buildings, the lights, the people. I’ll miss NYC so much. But I know we’ll always have NYC. This city will always be a part of us forever. And we’ll be back to visit as often as we can!
WHAT WE’VE LEARNED:
Nathan and I both have learned so much this past year. The biggest thing we’ve learned has been this: we can face any situation head-on together and it’s the biggest blessing to just have each other. We’ve learned the importance of slowing down and embracing slow living. We’ve learned how to make the most out of not so fun situations, especially when Nate lost his job at the beginning of March. We’ve learned to have fun at home by cooking together, dancing together, laughing together, getting lost in a new puzzle, having scrabble nights, watching Seinfeld and Friends on repeat, listening to podcasts, FaceTiming family & friends, and simply finding joy in the little things.
It’s true what they say… when one door closes, another door opens. As sad as I am about saying goodbye to New York for the second time, I’m also so incredibly excited about everything that’s ahead. The future is so bright, and I can’t wait to see where it takes us next.
Colorado is beautiful! I lived in Vail for two and half years before moving to Dallas. What part of Colorado are you moving to?