#27 The Migration
You know what I hate about Minnesota? How on Monday of last week it was 80 degrees. By Wednesday afternoon, it was 37 degrees. It SNOWED in St. Paul people. We haven't even hit Halloween yet and there are already flurries. I used to think Mother Nature allowed me a few weeks at the beginning of October to enjoy the fall foliage, maybe head out to the apple orchard and see the leaves before I had to dig out my space heater. But if this weather pattern continues she'll have us buried in snow by November first. So I've decided to move.
No, seriously. Sir and I have been talking about doing this since last winter. Both of us are not fond of deadbolting our doors against the - 30 degree wind chill and encroaching snowbanks in October and staying put, wrapped in wool wrapped in down wrapped in electric blankets until May. So we're heading south to Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Sir is leaving in a couple of weeks, and I'll be following either as soon as I find a job or after Christmas, whichever comes first.
That's right, the Yankee girl is migrating south.
I know this comes as a bit of a surprise to some of you as, until recently, Sir and I haven't really discussed it with anyone. It's not because we don't love you; it's because we weren't sure of the where, when and how. And there are few things more annoying than explaining The Plan to someone one week only to have to re-explain it again the next. Because if there's one thing I've learned from this whole process, it's that The Plan is in constant fluctuation.
Why Chapel Hill, North Carolina, you ask? Why I have list explaining just that. Look at how prepared I am! (Can you tell I've had to rationalize this decision to others recently? Several, several others?)
The top 10 reasons why Sir and I chose to move to Chapel Hill, North Carolina:
1) It's warm
2) It's near the mountains and the ocean
3) But not close enough for blizzards or hurricanes
4) It's warm
5) It's southern
6) But not too southern
7) It has a lot of educational opportunities for both of us
8) Many of our family and friends will be within road-tripping distance
9) The average snowfall is 7 inches. All. Winter. Long. Total.
10) Did I mention the WARM?
Maybe it was the heat exhaustion or the giddiness of Getting Out of the Damn Rental Car Already, but I fell in love with Chapel Hill at first sight. Approximately 25 steps from the parking lot, I turned to Sir and said, "I love it. I want to go here. Right here."
The first thing you'll notice about Chapel Hill is the trees, the trees and the, look at that! Trees. You really can't miss them. They surround the rolling hills of the city like a green army, marching into Chapel Hill, roofing the quads and parks surrounding the University of North Carolina. Only the sidewalk can keep the trees back from invading the roads. Still, if you aren't careful, branches will reach out to rudely push you into the street or grab the hat from your head.
Seeming to coexist with the trees is a commercial district catering to Sir and my age group. Unique shops and dozens of family-owned restaurants line Franklin Street and fill the nearby town of Carrboro. If ever you tired of the chain-owned stores, Chapel Hill would be your haven. Small boutiques sell original clothing, jewelry and furniture, while you can eat your way through cuisines from around the world, not to mention two microbreweries and a wine bar. (All three of which I plan on visiting post haste after The Move. Moving is really hard you all. Someone forgot to tell me that when I signed up.) And I'll tell you from experience that the walk from one end of Franklin to the other is a piece of cake. I can do it in my Italian kitten heels without even getting a blister.
The apartment complex where we'll be living is new-ish. The outdoor pool is small, but is surrounded by a big sunning deck and two gas grills, available year-round. There's also a putting green, which really does it for Sir. Me? Not so much. (Unless we play some sort of Ultimate Putt-Putt. Maybe with fire. That would be so cool!) The grocery store and bank are within walking distance and there is a big recreational lake about 5 miles down the road.
The apartments are big with HUGE bathtubs (think, big enough to line with candles!), balconies (where I can grow stuff all year long, because WARM!), central air, and the ability to have a washer and dryer (which I think we're going to put off until we can secure jobs since the complex has laundry facilities anyway). Oh! And arched ceilings! How could I forget the arched ceilings? They are what totally sold me on the apartment. I think I'd live just about anywhere if it had a nice arch.
So all of this is the reason I've been quiet recently. Because I didn't want to have to retell The Plan sixty times in The Column. And because The Move is all I've been thinking about. It's become a third person in my relationship with Sir. "Hi honey, how was your day?" "Fine, fine, but The Move has really screwed up how I was going to do 'X' thing before 'Y' time." "Yeah. The Move can be a bitch like that. I mean, just today The Move was making me want to rip my hair out, it was being so annoying." "Let's ignore it. Maybe it will go away." Which it never, ever does. Rude Move.
As much as I'm excited about everything, it's going to be really hard to leave. I grew up here! A lot of my friends are still here! My FAMILY is here. I wish I could put all of them in my pocket and take them with me (and if any of you discover some sort of shrinking technology before Christmas, let me know). But then, Sir is my family, too. And I get to keep him. Which is particularly advantageous for my heart and my sanity because I could not do this without him.
For a part of me, Minnesota will always be home. And as long as they let me, I'll be coming back lots to visit. But getting to start over in a new place is exciting and The Move is calling. And I'll be damned if it doesn't keep hanging up when I answer. (I don't know what it means either, but it sounded like a good way to end this entry.)
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No, seriously. Sir and I have been talking about doing this since last winter. Both of us are not fond of deadbolting our doors against the - 30 degree wind chill and encroaching snowbanks in October and staying put, wrapped in wool wrapped in down wrapped in electric blankets until May. So we're heading south to Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Sir is leaving in a couple of weeks, and I'll be following either as soon as I find a job or after Christmas, whichever comes first.
That's right, the Yankee girl is migrating south.
I know this comes as a bit of a surprise to some of you as, until recently, Sir and I haven't really discussed it with anyone. It's not because we don't love you; it's because we weren't sure of the where, when and how. And there are few things more annoying than explaining The Plan to someone one week only to have to re-explain it again the next. Because if there's one thing I've learned from this whole process, it's that The Plan is in constant fluctuation.
Why Chapel Hill, North Carolina, you ask? Why I have list explaining just that. Look at how prepared I am! (Can you tell I've had to rationalize this decision to others recently? Several, several others?)
The top 10 reasons why Sir and I chose to move to Chapel Hill, North Carolina:
1) It's warm
2) It's near the mountains and the ocean
3) But not close enough for blizzards or hurricanes
4) It's warm
5) It's southern
6) But not too southern
7) It has a lot of educational opportunities for both of us
8) Many of our family and friends will be within road-tripping distance
9) The average snowfall is 7 inches. All. Winter. Long. Total.
10) Did I mention the WARM?
Maybe it was the heat exhaustion or the giddiness of Getting Out of the Damn Rental Car Already, but I fell in love with Chapel Hill at first sight. Approximately 25 steps from the parking lot, I turned to Sir and said, "I love it. I want to go here. Right here."
The first thing you'll notice about Chapel Hill is the trees, the trees and the, look at that! Trees. You really can't miss them. They surround the rolling hills of the city like a green army, marching into Chapel Hill, roofing the quads and parks surrounding the University of North Carolina. Only the sidewalk can keep the trees back from invading the roads. Still, if you aren't careful, branches will reach out to rudely push you into the street or grab the hat from your head.
Seeming to coexist with the trees is a commercial district catering to Sir and my age group. Unique shops and dozens of family-owned restaurants line Franklin Street and fill the nearby town of Carrboro. If ever you tired of the chain-owned stores, Chapel Hill would be your haven. Small boutiques sell original clothing, jewelry and furniture, while you can eat your way through cuisines from around the world, not to mention two microbreweries and a wine bar. (All three of which I plan on visiting post haste after The Move. Moving is really hard you all. Someone forgot to tell me that when I signed up.) And I'll tell you from experience that the walk from one end of Franklin to the other is a piece of cake. I can do it in my Italian kitten heels without even getting a blister.
The apartment complex where we'll be living is new-ish. The outdoor pool is small, but is surrounded by a big sunning deck and two gas grills, available year-round. There's also a putting green, which really does it for Sir. Me? Not so much. (Unless we play some sort of Ultimate Putt-Putt. Maybe with fire. That would be so cool!) The grocery store and bank are within walking distance and there is a big recreational lake about 5 miles down the road.
The apartments are big with HUGE bathtubs (think, big enough to line with candles!), balconies (where I can grow stuff all year long, because WARM!), central air, and the ability to have a washer and dryer (which I think we're going to put off until we can secure jobs since the complex has laundry facilities anyway). Oh! And arched ceilings! How could I forget the arched ceilings? They are what totally sold me on the apartment. I think I'd live just about anywhere if it had a nice arch.
So all of this is the reason I've been quiet recently. Because I didn't want to have to retell The Plan sixty times in The Column. And because The Move is all I've been thinking about. It's become a third person in my relationship with Sir. "Hi honey, how was your day?" "Fine, fine, but The Move has really screwed up how I was going to do 'X' thing before 'Y' time." "Yeah. The Move can be a bitch like that. I mean, just today The Move was making me want to rip my hair out, it was being so annoying." "Let's ignore it. Maybe it will go away." Which it never, ever does. Rude Move.
As much as I'm excited about everything, it's going to be really hard to leave. I grew up here! A lot of my friends are still here! My FAMILY is here. I wish I could put all of them in my pocket and take them with me (and if any of you discover some sort of shrinking technology before Christmas, let me know). But then, Sir is my family, too. And I get to keep him. Which is particularly advantageous for my heart and my sanity because I could not do this without him.
For a part of me, Minnesota will always be home. And as long as they let me, I'll be coming back lots to visit. But getting to start over in a new place is exciting and The Move is calling. And I'll be damned if it doesn't keep hanging up when I answer. (I don't know what it means either, but it sounded like a good way to end this entry.)
Labels: They say "ya'll" here
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posted by Sun at 7:47 AM
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