I’ll stop vagueblogging and cut to the chase:
We are moving closer to my job.
our pool that won’t be ours much longer
Josh will be starting a new job in January at the same health system where I currently work, and it doesn’t makes sense for us both to commute 30-45 minutes north every day. Our Miami Beach home will go up on the market as soon as next month (!) and we will likely be living at least partially with Josh’s parents until the summer (very grateful that this is an option!) so that A&C can finish out the school year down here.
So if you know anyone who wants a 3BR/2BA mediterranean style home in a lovely mid-Miami-beach neighborhood (hurricane windows/doors! pool! children’s drawings on the walls that WILL be painted over!), please send them our way!
I feel bittersweet about the whole thing. We are moving because Josh feels like this is the right career move for him. Other positives include:
– Much more affordable home prices (we can consider getting a room for Genevieve and/or an office space) for far less than our current home costs
– I will have less of a commute & be closer to the kids’ schools
– Better work/life balance for Josh – he will likely be working just as hard, but it seems like he’ll be more likely to be truly ‘off’ when off (even if the ‘on’ part will be potentially more intense/frequent)
– We will be closer to our nanny (she’s definitely happy!)
– Better public middle/high schools. Where we currently live, the elementary school is highly rated but the middle/high schools are not. We didn’t really have a long-term plan.
We have been taking weekend forays to look at homes, all 3 kids in tow, but I think we are going to take a break for a while and focus on selling before buying/renting. We have not even completely decided on our destination yet, but are thinking probably Cooper City or Davie. Less glamorous than Miami Beach for sure, but family friendly and convenient.
All of those practical matters are important and great, but I am still really sad. It has been amazing being so close to family — walking to family gatherings, dropping by to see Josh’s aunt/uncle on a neighborhood walk, etc. We finally have some really good friends here – truly a social calendar as full as I really want it to be. I know we can still come down and hang out with those we are close to, and Josh’s parents being here will ensure that we have an important reason and even a place to stay — but I will still miss feeling so connected. When I walk into C’s school, I know so many people, and it’s such a nice feeling. It also took us approximately 5 years to get to this connected place! It will be frustrating starting again. I will say I am glad Genevieve is so young because I feel like it’s the toddler years where you really get to meet and get to know other parents well.
Anyway — here’s to our new adventure! Wish us luck.
13 Comments
Hi Sarah! Long time reader; can’t remember if I’ve ever commented. But this is happy news to me, because I’d actually love the chance to get to meet up with you – and now it is so much more possible. I live in Weston, with my husband and 3.5 yr old daughter, and I’m due with baby #2 in early January. My husband is also a doctor, so I can sort of identify/sympathize with some of your call and charting woes. Also, I think I found your blog when I was trying to get pregnant with my first, and I had similar-sounding hypothalamic/lean PCOS type stuff going on (I too was a big runner back in the day). I think I saw a post back a while ago where you mentioned Little Java’s play place – I was like hey that’s not too far from us! Anyway, excited to see where y’all end up and lmk if maybe we can find a way to link up for a play/date or coffee or whatever. Cheers, Anne
Wow! That is big news. I always thought there was something so charming and old fashioned about your life in Miami Beach, with the generations of extended family in the same walkable community. Moving for both of your commutes makes a lot of sense though.
That”s a big deal, and I”m sure it will be tough to leave the community you worked hard to build. But shorter commutes and your husband working at the same employer are big benefits. And you have the “fresh start” opportunity Gretchen Rubin talks about if you want to make some new habits/start new projects…so that”s good? You”re such a positive person, so I am sure you”ll make this a great opportunity. 🙂
Exciting!!! Reducing commutes will definitely be awesome! We haven’t moved since our kids were 1 and 3 (4 and 6 now) but I’ve actually found myself much more connected now that my oldest is in elementary school, doing more activities, etc.Since you have a pretty good range of kid ages I think you’ll have no trouble meeting people! And moving somewhat locally means you have the luxury of making a decision that feels really good. Good luck and hope it all goes smoothly!
That is exciting! Congrats. We are about to list our house too and I am dreading it. Can’t wait to hear how you deal with the anxiety of keeping the house clean for showings and getting out of the house on a few minutes notice! And moving is stressful too! I’m sure you’ll both enjoy being closer to work.
I’m a happy reader, too, since I live in Boca and driving to Davie/Cooper City is way less daunting than Miami Beach. 🙂 So you will have a handful of readers who are excited to possibly meet you when you head to the suburbs. As for real estate prices, not only will you be able to buy a bigger house but you will also save a lot with homeowners insurance (esp flood). And lack of commute is huge, especially in South FL. Life-changing huge. You will embrace the time that is added back into your life.
Bittersweet for sure!! Congrats on the new adventure, but yes, change is always hard!
Congratulations on Josh’s new job. Wishing you all the best in your new home and lots of free date nights with the in-laws 😉
Oh, it is so difficult to leave a friend community you’ve built and there’s definitely no substitute for having family nearby (I’ve always admired that it seems like you have a great relationship with your in-laws! So many don’t). But I second what many have said that I think that you’ll find the lack of commute to be AMAZING. As a person who really embraces using every minute to the fullest, I am sure you will find all sorts of ways to use the time you now spend commuting to make you and your family happier. I have also found that it’s easier to meet other families with elementary aged kids (or maybe late preschool, rather than toddler/baby). I am sure you’ll meet plenty of new friends in no time, and I agree that your kids having an age gap will help you meet people in different stages.
Long time reader, seldom to comment but wanted to change that to say welcome to Broward! I live in Coconut Creek and work in Plantation/Davie area. Though less glamorous, there are so many fun things to do with the kids in this area (I have an almost 6 year old son and 13 month old daughter). The commute life sucks, we moved from Plantation to Coconut Creek when my husband took a job in Boca so that both of our commutes were reasonable and because the schools in north Broward were slightly better than Plantation. Would love to run into you and the family at YAA or other Broward kid friendly haunts one of these days. Also if you need a good realtor in the Davie area let me know, my family runs a very successful real estate office in the Plantation/Davie area.
Haha we’ve actually been YAA members on and off, even living 45 min away! My kids loves that place!!! I need to learn about other Broward kid areas 🙂
We do have a realtor (same one we used to buy our house!) but thank you!
How exciting! It sounds like this will be a great quality-of-life move. Even if you are further away from family and friends, it sounds like you mostly see them on the weekends anyway when you won”t be facing work traffic and aren”t as pressed for time—so you can still make all the visits you want to MB. It sounds like this is ideal on multiple levels. Hope the home selling process is painless and easy! And have fun house shopping!!
I was suspecting a move but for some reason I had been thinking a MUCH bigger move, like a move back further north, haha! But this seems like a great fit for you guys if you both with be with that hospital system longer-term–I think people REALLY undervalue the lifestyle improvement of a super short commute! It sounds like it will be a big change to be further from Josh’s family, but in the scheme of things they are still very close for extended family, so hopefully you continue to see them frequently! Bittersweet but seems like an overall improvement!