We grew up in a small town in Mississippi with a population of roughly 10,625 with a courthouse, one high school, and an annual Christmas parade. We Love our hometown, the people in it and the food. Growing up in a small town in the South changes you, changes you in a way that you will never grow out of. That small town created us and it will always be a part of our identity. It’s something that we are proud of, but it’s not the only thing that defines us. We realized shortly into our marriage that we were passionate about traveling and Moving to new places. Regardless of where you’re from, moving will help you see the world around you differently. It opens you up to more possibilities and ways of thinking. We have met so many interesting people, experienced so many different cultures and strengthened our relationship. Through moving we learned that experiences and memories are one of the most valuable things you can own.
“Oh, I need somebody, needed someone I could trust
I don’t gamble, but if I did I would bet on us” – The Lumineers
The main thing that I have learned from moving is that Comfort zones are only relative to your surroundings. If you had asked me what I wanted to be growing up I would have said a garbage truck worker because they get to ride on the back of the truck. If you had asked me what I wanted to do 10 years ago I would have said a roller coaster designer. If you had asked me what I wanted to do 5 years ago I would have said not sure ask me again in 5 years. When I finished college we were living in a 500 square foot house in our familiar hometown. We eventually packed up and moved north only 50 miles. This small change in our comfort zone only encouraged us to reach for more. Only 5 months after moving 50 miles north of our hometown we decided to move 1,200 miles north west.
“Growing up is losing some illusions, in order to acquire others.” ― Virginia Woolf
Another thing I learned from moving is to appreciate experiences. I’m not just talking about getting married, big vacations or major birthdays. After moving to an unfamiliar place I started to experience new things. I started to love new routines and meet new people. In the moment, I didn’t realize how special these things were. Our first few months in Denver, Colorado we were invited over to watch the Denver Broncos by a Coloradan. It’s people like that I’m so thankful for. We would have never been able to bond over football, Colorado and dogs if it would not have been for moving. The first time we experienced Rocky Mountain National Park was with new friends that invited us to hike with them. We climbed up to 10,110 feet in below freezing temperatures, we made snow angels and danced on a frozen lake. One of the funniest moments I remember was when we tried a new restaurant with our friends and more than one person ordered Indian hot. I suffered through every spoonful with laughter from everyone and it’s funny to retell that story every time we get something way too spicy.
“Nothing makes the earth seem so spacious as to have friends at a distance; they make the latitudes and longitudes.” – Henry David Thoreau
The last, and most important, thing I learned from moving is how much support we have from our friends, family and each other. If you don’t have the proper support in life you will never be able to get what you want out of it. We relied on the encouragement from our family to make the first big moves. We relied on our friends enthusiasm to climb peaks in the west and camp near one of the biggest super volcanoes. Ultimately, we relied on each other when moving, exploring and adventuring. It’s one of the things you don’t really notice until you’re steps away from a bull moose and reach back to protect someone from walking any further. My relationship with Cory would never be what it is today without stepping out of our comfort zones and letting experiences take priority in our life.
“We cannot decide to love. We cannot compel anyone to love us. There’s no secret recipe, only love itself. And we are at its mercy–there’s nothing we can do.”
― Nina George
If you were to ask me now what I want to be in 10 years I would say I’m not sure but ask me again in 10 years. I hope this post will encourage you to get out of your comfort zone, look for new experiences and find the support you need to take that next step in finding what truly makes you happy. I’m not sure when our next move will be, but I hope it’s sooner rather than later.
This post is dedicated to some of the amazing people we have met because of our move to Colorado: Jeff, Deanna, Wendy, Jamie, Liz, Joe, Lori, Melissa, Shanti, Eli, Chelsey and the Zillow crew. We are thankful for you and the moments we have shared. If it wasn’t for all of you our first big move would not have been as successful. Who have you met because of a move? What experiences did you share with them? Share this post with them and reminisce together.
