When we decided to pack up and move to the midwest last summer for Matt to go to business school, we told everyone that we most definitely would be coming back down south. Definitely. Without a doubt. Our families are there, our friends are there, and blistery snowstorms are not! And, we are born and bred southerners and proud of it, ya'll. But, Chicago (and Evanston - the suburb right north of downtown where we live) has really grown on us.
We both really love our church - up here it isn't the cultural norm to say you're a christian and go to church on Sunday like it is in the Bible Belt - so we find the authenticity of the people we've met at church to be inspiring. We both also love having four seasons. The summer is as ideal as you could get - it never gets very hot (at least according to a southerner's standards) and Evanston is filled with tree-lined streets and people out walking. The fall foliage is absolutely gorgeous, and we don't even mind the snow that much - it is actually really pretty, and it is just a matter of wearing the right "gear" when you go out in it. We love being so close to downtown Chicago, public transportation (no one we know up here has 2 cars...there is no need), and the lake and parks. We also like that you can get anywhere in Evanston by foot (Atlanta traffic is a distant memory!)
We are extremely thankful that God led us to this company. It's a good fit for us - it will allow us to pay off our school debt quickly and Matt really loves the work (it is a growth strategy consulting firm) and the people. And I love that it doesn't involve travel (at least not every week). With the current economy, we don't take for granted that God has blessed him with this opportunity.
Will it be hard to be halfway across the US with my new baby? Yes. I miss not being able to zip down to St. Simons for every little occasion. And this past weekend made me realize how much I miss our great group of friends in Atlanta. But ultimately Matt and I know that our home and our family is wherever we are, not a geographical location. We've enjoyed moving to a new city together and making new friends together. It's been a good experience for us. I've always been one who is resistant to change and to trying new things. My husband is not, and I'm slowly learning that sometimes change is good.
We celebrated at Pete Miller's for dinner a couple of weeks ago when we made the decision. There was a jazz band playing and I filmed a little bit of Will dancing. And then at the end Matt got some pretty good frowns out of him while I held him!
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More Will cuteness and baby taunting. We'll miss you guys, but understand. It would be nice to get out of Atlanta for a little while and have new adventures.
I should have said we'll miss ya'll. Don't stop using ya'll up there now, ya here?!
I was showing Ryan the video today. We were cracking up.
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