Short version: The rent is too damn high.
Long version: The rent is too damn high and we're exhausted. We made this decision for a number of reasons, all having to do with prioritizing our marriage and family over staying in a city with a cost of living that is slowly eating us alive. We want to have more time with each other, we want our income to go further, and we want to be near family who are ready and willing to help out with Elliott (Lane's mom lives in Indianapolis).
So, details: My last day at work is September 25 and I'll be flying to Indy that weekend with Elliott and as many essentials as I can cram in our giant suitcase. Lane will be staying here in the City to train up his replacement at the restaurant. During his stay, the cats will be boarded in Sonoma with a lovely French couple. Those worldly possessions that do not fit in our giant suitcase will be loaded into a pod for delivery to Indianapolis. Lane will drive our car and the kitties to Indianapolis once he has officially handed over the chef de cuisine reins.
No, neither of us have jobs.
Yes, we have an apartment.
Yes, I'm freaked out about boarding the cats for a month (but there is no way we are putting them on a plane).
No, we have no idea what we're doing.
Lane's mother is so excited that I'm actually worried about spontaneous combustion. She has been beyond helpful and generous -- we're talking about reams of newspaper clippings about new restaurants, doing all the legwork to get us an apartment, buying us a freaking car (!!), and being there for us as we cycle through some pretty weird emotions. I'm especially thankful (in advance) for her company and guidance while I'll be settling into a new city with a toddler and a husband two time zones away.
The last few days have been melancholy as I started looking at my day-to-day as something that is coming to an end very, very soon. Just driving through Sausalito and the City can bring me nearly to tears, although I won't miss those goddamn Google buses and the tourists taking photos while driving on the Golden Gate Bridge. I gave my notice yesterday and as my co-workers hear the news, I tell our plans over and over again and each time I get a little more sad. I love my job and the wonderful people I work with; it's terribly hard to leave when things are so good.
Lane is far more positive about the move (and in general) than I am, so his example has kept me completely out of the doldrums. We talk about all the things we'll be able to do together, how we'll be able to take care of ourselves better and all the experiences we'll be able to give Elliott. This decision was tough at times and far too easy at others. Some days I would text Lane and ask if he wanted to quit on the spot and go to Indy the next day. Other days, the thought of leaving the only place I've ever called home was almost too much to bear. Elliott, of course, is far too young to realize what's happening, which is a good thing. My family moved to a different town within the same county when I was nine and I hated my parents for it for at least a year. I had to switch schools, get used to not playing in the street and bonus, my cat was run over by our new neighbor the day after we moved in. I'm glad Elliott will be spared such trauma.
Please keep our crazy asses in your prayers. Onward and upward, Milburns!
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