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Jersey girl, and boy, and dog


Well, we did it. We moved to New Jersey! It wasn't exactly easy, and parts of it weren't fun, but we did it! Our stuff is moved in and definitely not unpacked, and we are starting Chapter 3 of our house tour. I'm hoping this is a long chapter.

Back to March, we put in the offer on the house in NJ, it was accepted, and we sold our house in PA. Our inspection went fine in PA, but the one on the new house wasn't without issue. We were able to negotiate what we needed to and everything worked out extremely well.We closed a few weeks before school was out so we could get most of the work done before moving in. Every single timeline was met perfectly from floor guys to painters to the roofer. Andy was able to stay in NJ and meet contractors as needed while I stayed with friends (seriously, the BEST friends a girl could ask for) in PA. The movers did a fantastic job and I got to leave my teaching job in PA and drive home to NJ. I am in a bit of a fog as I can't believe my summer will be spent unpacking boxes, again, and decorating a house, again.

To kick off our first weekend in NJ, Andy showed me how to get into New York and we went for Sunday brunch. We walked miles until our feet hurt, took the subway, took the PATH, and tried our best to fit in. Andy definitely fits in more than I do! One lesson learned: wear comfy shoes in NY. NOBODY cares that you are wearing sneakers with your outfit. You will not survive in cute sandals. Also, nobody cares what you look like. Everybody is busy doing their own thing and trying to get to their own destination and nobody pays attention to you. It's quite lovely, actually.

I am beginning to network and try to figure out where my career will lead me next. I am so lucky to have another opportunity to explore a new part of the US and meet new people. It is really nice to have some time to relax and explore my options since I am used to having the summer off anyways. Education is not out of the picture, but the picture might look a little different.

Right now our only plan for the summer is our trip to MN. We are going back for a wedding in July and are really excited to see some family. Andy is going out for a long weekend, and I will stay a day longer, then drive to FL with my friend and her kids. She has spent a few weeks in MN and I volunteered to drive back with her as an extra set of hands to keep her and her kids entertained. Believe it or not, being stuck in a car with my friend for days on end sounds LOVELY. Years ago, right after high school, a friend and I road tripped to the West Coast 3 years in a row. I absolutely love a good road trip. When we drove out to PA, Andy's sister and I talked the entire 2 day drive. It's a great way to really get some good in person conversation time, which is harder to come by as we get older and continue to move around the country. All that to say I am really looking forward to a MN -> FL road trip.

Until then it's cleaning, unpacking, finding my nearest gas station and grocery store, and going into NYC for lunch/HH/coffee/fun.

I will send an email with our new address. If you aren't on the email, ask around as I'm sure some family member will end up with it.

Byeeeeeee!

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