It’s been a couple weeks since my last blog post. And that’s because I have been busy living life and crushing goals! Over the last week or 2, I have been dropping hints of my upcoming move to North Carolina. I’ve decided to write this post to answer some of the big questions I’ve been getting about the move as well as to just put it all out there for you and myself.
Question #1: Why the Move?
This has been the biggest question I’ve been receiving from people. My answer:
I have lived in New England my entire life. 18 years in Western Massachusetts and the last 6 years around Seacoast New Hampshire.
I love New England, and I have loved my time in New Hampshire. But, I am 24 years old. I am single. I have no dependents. I have a career that I can pick up and go anywhere with.
In simple terms, I have nothing anchoring me to one place right now.
AND again I’m 24, this is the time in my life that I should be traveling and exploring new places! I want to experience so much, and staying in New England is not going to allow that to the extent that I’d like it to.
Question #2: Why North Carolina?
Next most common question…Why did I choose North Carolina? Well, let’s backtrack to last Fall. I took a trip to Asheville, NC to visit a friend who had moved from NH for a travel nurse contract.
Asheville is on the western side of the state and in the mountains. I fell in love so damn fast with North Carolina, I can’t even explain it. It felt like home, like a southern version of New England. It was beautiful in the fall, the mountains were a reminder of home, the people and the overall vibe/energy was exactly what I was looking for.
Now, I’m not moving to Asheville. It’s a little too far inland for me. I need to be by the ocean, which is where Wilmington comes in. It’s right on the coast and it’s a great blend of young and old…UNC Wilmington is there bringing in the young crowd. And there’s a ton of history within Wilmington, which brings in the old vibe. Both of which I want to be around.
Question #3: Do You Have a Job Lined Up?
As I am writing this post, the answer is…NOPE.
And to tell you the truth, it doesn’t bother me. I mean it does because, you know, kind of need to make a living. But I’m not stressing over it.
I have applied to a few jobs, but I don’t really care if I get them. Ideally, I’d get something that is part-time so I can continue to focus on my coaching business (which is evolving, more on that in a future post).
Question #4: Do You Have an Apartment?
NOPE.
I’ve looked at a few apartment complexes and have talked to a few people about potential living situations. But ultimately, I don’t want to have a roommate, nor do I want to be in an apartment complex.
So, the plan going into this move is to do a long-term stay at an AirBnB for at least the 1st month that I am there THEN find a place to live.
I’m not going to commit / I’m not comfortable with committing to a year of something/somewhere until I know I’m ready and it feels right.
My Mini-Vacation to Wilmington
In the 2 ½ days that I spent in Wilmington, it felt right. I don’t know how to explain it or help you to understand the peace that I felt while in North Carolina.
The 1st day was a bit iffy but I think that had a lot to do with driving for 13 hours over night. I had worked Wednesday morning, then slept for maybe an hour before hitting the road at 8pm. Once I arrived in Wilmington, I went on 2 apartment tours and drove around town for a bit since I couldn’t check into my AirBnB until 2pm…so the lack of sleep made me grumpy and filled with self-doubt.
Day #2 was MUCH better…I woke up around 5:30am and made my way over to Wrightsville Beach where I ran around the beach houses and then jumped in the ocean to cool off. The water at 7:30am was warmer than the New Hampshire waters will ever be.
Before leaving Wrightsville Beach, I grabbed a coffee which was probably one of the most expensive small iced lattes I’ve ever bought…and enjoyed my breakfast by the beach.
Later that day, I went on an apartment tour and followed that up with a trip to Airlie Gardens…BEAUTIFUL, and peaceful.
I made my way to Downtown Wilmington to finish the day off. There were so many cute little shops and restaurants. It’s also along the river and there’s a ton of history in the area too. I grabbed dinner at a spot called Rebellion. It was the 1st time I’ve gone to a restaurant and had dinner by myself…my thoughts. 1. Not as bad as I thought, 2. It’s pretty damn empowering. Also the burger was f*ing amazing…bourbon bacon jam is definitely a winner.
My 3rd day there, I walked around Greenfield Lake in the morning. Then returned to downtown to grab some coffee and donuts (can’t go on any vacation without finding the donuts) before my departure.
Day 2 & 3 I had an overwhelming need to cry, I don’t know how to explain it…but I will try. I felt…
Grateful.
Happy.
Excited.
HOME.
I felt like I was a part of the area and I had been for awhile. That feeling makes me so excited for this move. There are definitely a lot of unknowns going into this and I may have had a meltdown over it the other day, but that’s okay. I’m excited and ready for this next step/chapter in my life.
