So the journey begins....

It has finally happened, the light is finally there at the end of the tunnel for us. We are able to see it and embrace it.

Last week Chris went out to Virginia for a couple of job interviews and the first one went so well that he didn't even go to the second one. He called me and told me he loved it, that he was so happy. I could hear over the phone from 2500 miles away the relief and joy in my husbands voice. I knew that he wanted to do this. He fell in love with the area and all that it has to offer immediately. He sent me pictures like this-

He couldn't stop talking about how beautiful it was. I mean look at that, it looks like a postcard!

I was falling in love with it just through the pictures and his descriptions of everything.

The best part is that we already know people there so it isn't going to be nearly as scary as it could be. I have never lived anywhere but Southern California so having somebody there as my "comfort zone" is great. One of the people we know is one of my best friends from high school. She has lived there for 16 years and she lives about 30 miles from the new job and from where we will live. The other person is one of Chris's best friends from high school. He actually lives in Maryland, but it's very close and he works in DC so we will see him and his family all the time too.

I cannot even begin to explain how this has changed things for us, how we have been so relieved and happy to know that we have somewhere to call home soon. I have written before about how badly I have wanted to move out of this desert for so long, and the feeling has only gotten worse since my mom died. I miss her terribly and I really believe that once I am out of this house and I don't look out the back door at her casita anymore I will feel so much better. I also feel like she would be really happy for us.

I know that this journey isn't going to be all fun and excitement, I know that the kids are going to struggle, I am sure that I am going to miss my California friends and my brother and his family so much that I will cry. But I know that staying in the desert, staying in California was no longer an option for us. We so badly need a fresh start, a chance to get back on out feet and enjoy life again.

Chris will move before us, his new job wants him to start in a couple of weeks but the girls and I will stay behind for a while. A part of me really wishes we were leaving with him. I would love to just pack it all up and go but we are doing the smart thing, the responsible thing and letting him go ahead, this way I can continue working for a while longer, he can start his job at his new salary and then we can put money aside.

It's going to be hard to say goodbye, to be a single, full time working mom for a while and it will be so hard for the girls to not be with their dad but the good thing is we will be able to count the days and know that our new life is just around the corner.

I can't wait to take this journey and to document it, this is going to be a great time for our family and I just can't wait to get there!