I’ve been meaning to write this post for over a month. We moved to Seattle on June 1st of last year from our hometown of Kansas City, and the one year anniversary of our move has me reflecting on the journey it’s been. It’s definitely not a small decision to pack up everything you own and move your family and entire life halfway across the country to a new city where you know almost no one.
The last year has held some of the highest highs and some of the lowest lows. We’ve spent the last year discovering our new city and the beautiful Pacific Northwest, but we’ve also faced some of the biggest challenges in our lives.
An unexpected stay in the ICU in the spring due to a random brain bleed triggered a cascade of issues. I haven’t spoken much about the toll that my brain bleed took on my mental health, but to put it mildly, I experienced levels of anxiety I did not think were physically possible. It was an awful time, and my family saw me at my absolute worst. I could see the fear and uncertainty in my kids’ eyes, and it was so hard to get through every day, heck, every minute, without breaking down.
Once my brain began to heal, the anxiety dissipated and life began to feel normal again. Unfortunately, the stress of the prior months triggered a flare in my Crohn’s Disease which I was diagnosed with 15 years ago. After several bouts of severe cramping and vomiting, I finally made the difficult decision to do another round of prednisone as a last resort. Although I dislike taking it and the side effects, the prednisone got me through the worst of my flare, and I finally began to be able to eat again. I’ve also recently started a low risk biologic medication called Entyvio to reduce gut inflammation. I’m finally feeling better and hopeful this medication along with reducing my stress will get my gut back to normal.
These health challenges came at the worst possible time. The weeks following my brain bleed, we needed the help of family to care for the kids since Danny had to work. I really felt the loss of family and the physical distance of living in Seattle during this time. Both our families live a plane ride away in Kansas City. I will forever be grateful to my mom and Danny’s mom who dropped everything to fly to Seattle and help us. They were there for us during very difficult days, and I’m not sure if we would have gotten through it without them.
In the past few months, I wavered about our move. Was it the right decision? We were so far away. Danny, who is much more steadfast and level headed than me, especially in times of crisis, remained confident in our decision to move to Seattle. And once I finally began to feel like myself again and was able to return to my normal activities, I remembered why we made the decision to move. We wanted to live in a city that was walkable with access to nature.
I truly love living in Seattle. I love being able to walk everywhere, I love that it’s a bit gritty and weird. I love that we have access to the most beautiful scenery all over the Pacific Northwest. I love going camping and hiking in the summer. I love our neighborhood and how we are just a short drive into all the city of Seattle has to offer. I love our weekly farmer’s market and the coffee shop down the street. I love how I can drive five minutes to the beach. I love riding the ferries. This city just fits us. I know we are in the right place. We are happy here.
We never know what the future will bring, but for now, we will stay in Seattle. We are renting a house but will possibly be looking to buy in the next year or so with hopes of staying in our current neighborhood. Seattle really shines in the summertime, and I’m so excited for all the adventures we have planned.
If you’re considering a move, I want to be the first to tell you, GO FOR IT. It may not work out, but it may be the best decision you ever made. Life is short; live it, take risks, follow your dreams. Seek out the opportunities that feel right to you and see where life takes you.
