We’re Officially Virginians!

I can’t believe it!! It seems like we were literally JUST talking about moving and what it all entails, and now here we are two months later sitting in our brand new home sipping coffee :) (Well, new-to-us home that it – this place is over 80 years old! haha…).

Talk about following through with a game plan, geez… I really gotta give the wife and I a pat on the back for finally DOING SOMETHING about all of this. We’ve been talking about moving for the past 3 years now, and for whatever reason it finally clicked in our head and we actually pulled the trigger.

IT FEELS SO GOOD!!!

Here’s the progress from start to finish for those who’ve missed it:

Awesome awesome awesome. I don’t know what comes next in this grand scheme of ours (the plan is to live here for just one year until the wife finishes her dissertation), but either way the rest is just secondary. We’re living our dream *right now* and I’m soaking it all up as much as I possibly can :)

Here’s a list of the things we’ve gotten into so far in the 3 days we’ve lived here:

  • Taken walks to the local cafes every morning (notice there’s multiple!)
  • Hung out with local family every day (granted, half of that “hanging out” was them moving boxes and furniture into our house, haha, but still – quality time! ;))
  • Taken baby $ to some new parks and walking paths
  • Gone into the local pawn shop (had to check that out, of course)
  • And really just explored as much as possible when taking breaks from unpacking.

We still have a ton to do with getting the house in order and what not (I’m currently nudged in between 10 boxes and empty bookcases courtesy of my blogging library from the old place), but all that will come in time so I’m not too worried. The trick is eventually getting back into “work mode” so I don’t throw everything away chasing a new adventure out here! Haha…. which I’m only halfway really worried about ;) I gotta take advantage of working for myself sometimes, right?

Another thing I’m cautiously watching is *how much we spend* on all these new walks/cafes we’re now taking on. It’s amazing being able to walk everywhere now, but man – almost all the places we end up involve us handing over money! Haha… Perhaps that’ll fizzle out though once we get nice and settled and fazed away from vacation mode. Or maybe I’ll just budget it all in now ;)

All I know is that this is one of the biggest changes we’ve taken on in quite some time, so I’m soaking it all in and enjoying as much of the process as I possibly can – even the frustrating ones. Like finding scratches all over our furniture cuz I suck at packing, or how one of the rooms here smells like something died in it! Ugh. (Good thing I don’t own it! :)) Not to mention how nervous we are now that our place is finally up to be rented and we have to start paying the multi-thousand dollar bills for the upgrades we’ve done. What if no one likes it? What if we’re stuck paying for two homes?

Lots and lots of scary stuff swirling around. But I wouldn’t change it for anything. Much better to feel alive and pursuing dreams than stuck in a rut just wishing, ya know? So we take it day by day and do our best to ride the waves as they come in.

I’ll be blogging about more rental stuff here as time goes on, as well as other things I’ve forgotten to update y’all about lately (like the car situation! Look for that tomorrow), but the word of the day is that yours truly is safe and sound and now officially a Southerner ;) I’ll tell you one thing – people are a LOT nicer here than they are in D.C.! They actually smile and wave to you when you walk by, haha… and not just cuz I look funny rocking a ‘hawk ;)

Hope things are going well in your hood too! And your adventures are also coming along nicely! If I can ever help out with anything, don’t be afraid to give a shout. I don’t know everything, but I’m pretty good at giving opinions :)

We’ll see ya back here again tomorrow…

——————–
FYI: As you’ve probably noticed, we haven’t shared what city we’ve moved to. That’s on purpose :) Figure you’d much prefer seeing our monthly worth updates over the place we live anyways, yeah? Can’t give up all our secrets!

[Photo by C. G. P. Grey]

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36 Comments

  1. Mary Anne @ BillGuard July 1, 2013 at 6:12 AM

    Congratulations on your move! Virginia is a beautiful state – mountains, cool climate, water, greenery – so I’m sure you’re absolutely going to love it. I’m glad you pulled the trigger and decided to chase a goal that you and your wife have held for such a long time! And your baby will grow up as a Virginian!

    Reply
    1. J. Money July 1, 2013 at 5:02 PM

      Haha well, not sure if we’ll be staying here *that* long, but we’ll see what happens ;)

      Reply
  2. Lance @ Money Life and More July 1, 2013 at 7:35 AM

    Enjoy Virginia. If you have any questions about the state let me know. I used to live a few places there for a few years.

    Reply
  3. Jane Savers @ Solving The Money Puzzle July 1, 2013 at 9:06 AM

    Maybe the money you are saving on gas can be part of your café fund?

    Major blog issues this weekend have lead to an unexpected expense and I have no idea where the money to pay will come from. My host has decided to close suddenly due to a series of DDOS attacks (I have no idea what is happening) and I have had to move to another host and charge that expense to the Visa. Now I have to figure out how to pay the new bill.

    Almost no views of my blog due to the attacks but at least I can get on today. That is a pleasant change.

    Happy Canada Day!

    Reply
    1. J. Money July 1, 2013 at 5:04 PM

      Oh no!! I heard that was happening to a few people – so horrible :( It’s def. worth moving over and continuing the blog though! Maybe you’ll get fortunate and get some extra blog income to help pay for it all :) Hang in there!

      Reply
      1. Jane Savers @ Solving The Money Puzzle July 1, 2013 at 5:07 PM

        My goal is to get one ad on the site in 2013. I have alienated Google AdSense but I am trying many other options.

        Reply
        1. J. Money July 2, 2013 at 10:44 AM

          Great goal! You can totally do that.

          Reply
  4. John S @ Frugal Rules July 1, 2013 at 9:07 AM

    I am sure you’re going to love it there J! I grew up in Richmond and there is just so much to see and do in the state. Other than the NASTY humidity, I’d move back in a heartbeat.

    Reply
  5. Debt Blag July 1, 2013 at 9:40 AM

    This is great news! Congratulations to you guys. Looks like you’re finding all the important things in your new neighborhood. Good luck!

    Reply
  6. Meghan July 1, 2013 at 9:44 AM

    Welcome to my state! :)

    Reply
    1. J. Money July 1, 2013 at 5:08 PM

      Well cool for that :) Perhaps we’ll walk by each other one day and never even know it!

      Reply
  7. Sherrian@KNSFinancial.com July 1, 2013 at 9:47 AM

    Congrats J! That sounds wonderful! There’s nothing like making a huge decision, and not only being at peace with it, but really being happy. I’m glad you’ve found a home, state, and neighborhood that’s right for your family. I’m sure the novelty of the cafes and such will wear off eventually and you’ll stitch up that money hemorrhage you got going on :-) Hugs.

    Reply
    1. J. Money July 1, 2013 at 5:05 PM

      Hehe, perhaps :) Will I be seeing you and your handsome counterpart at this year’s FINCON? I hope so!

      Reply
  8. Jen July 1, 2013 at 9:49 AM

    So excited for y’all! (By the way, you have to start saying “y’all” and drink sweet tea if you want to really be a southerner.) LOL! Don’t worry….it’ll come naturally. My husband was a Pennsylvania yankee and even he has started to say y’all. It’s funny. Glad Y’ALL are settling in great, and I hope you enjoy Virginia! I grew up there, both in Chesapeake and Harrisonburg, and always loved it. Since my job is on the chopping block right now due to NC state budget cuts, we may find ourselves back in the Hampton Roads area sooner than we would’ve hoped. That’s where all my family is. I don’t know if that’s good or bad…. :) Anyways, ENJOY VIRGINIA! It’s great! :)

    Reply
    1. J. Money July 1, 2013 at 5:06 PM

      Haha, thanks! I hope you don’t have to make that decision anytime soon :) It’s always scary when jobs are in the are and you just don’t know what the heck the future will bring. Sometimes just *knowing* is better regardless of the outcome (though of course better to be a happy one than not). Thanks for the warm welcome!

      Reply
  9. jolie July 1, 2013 at 11:00 AM

    You did it!! What an exciting new beginning for you two. I bet your 80 year old house has a lot of stories to tell. So neat to be in walking distance to so many wonderful things. Virginia has always been on my list of US States to visit. Looks like a lovely place. Congrats!

    Reply
    1. J. Money July 1, 2013 at 5:08 PM

      yeah, who knows what craziness has gone down in this house of ours :) esp in the bedroom (ow ow!)

      Reply
  10. Leona@allmydollarsandcents.com July 1, 2013 at 11:45 AM

    Hi J,

    Congrats on the new move and going after your dreams! I’m going after mine as well and it’s nice to hear other people are doing the same–so many never give themselves the chance to live their dreams.

    Good for you!!!

    Reply
    1. J. Money July 1, 2013 at 5:07 PM

      Good for you too!! Gotta take advantage of life whenever we can, right?

      Reply
  11. Thomas July 1, 2013 at 1:26 PM

    Congratulations J! I love moving to a new area. Such opportunities to meet new people

    Reply
  12. Brian @ Luke1428 July 1, 2013 at 1:47 PM

    ‘Much better to feel alive and pursuing dreams than stuck in a rut just wishing…” Love it! Couldn’t agree more. Congrats on the move and the new fun adventure.

    Reply
    1. J. Money July 2, 2013 at 10:45 AM

      Thanks! being in a rut sucks ;)

      Reply
  13. Debt and the Girl July 1, 2013 at 4:16 PM

    Congrats, J! Hope you have fun in this new state. It sounds like an adventure for sure.

    Reply
  14. Christine @ ThePursuitofGreen July 1, 2013 at 5:56 PM

    Congrats on the move! Sounds like you are enjoying it and really getting to know the neighborhood. Being around some family is always nice too:P Not all of them of course, just some…

    Reply
  15. Shafi July 1, 2013 at 6:26 PM

    Congratulations and good luck with your 80-year old new home. I haven’t been to Virginia except a few time drove through it on 95. However, we stayed in Northern part of the state – Tyson corner to be exact – for one whole year. Our longest drive when we were there was less than 40 miles in Maryland and Virginia visiting friends and the District of Columbia.

    Reply
  16. Michael @ The Student Loan Sherpa July 1, 2013 at 8:50 PM

    Welcome to the Commonwealth! (why is it a Commonwealth? I don’t know, but it would be good for a new resident to learn this fact)

    I spent a bit of time in VA and loved it. If you spend any time in Arlington be sure to go to Ray’s Hell Burger.

    Reply
    1. J. Money July 2, 2013 at 10:48 AM

      Haha, indeed… You’d think they could drop the commonwealth by now, eh? Sounds like something from way back in the day… Will have to look into that one :)

      Reply
  17. thepotatohead July 1, 2013 at 9:49 PM

    Congrats on the move! Make sure you budget it a nice amount for repairs…especially with an 80 yr old home. I know my 50 yr old home has certainly sucked up alot of cash lol

    Reply
    1. J. Money July 2, 2013 at 10:45 AM

      Nope! No need – we’re renting :) That’s the best part!!

      Reply
  18. Mo' Money Mo' Houses July 6, 2013 at 2:43 PM

    Congrats on the move! Me and my husband just moved to Toronto from Vancouver on July 1 and it sure is a big adjustment but we’re definitely glad we finally did it (we’ve also been talking about moving for years!).

    Cheers!

    Reply
    1. J. Money July 7, 2013 at 10:03 AM

      Well congrats on getting it done too! Go us :)

      Reply
  19. mbhunter July 6, 2013 at 3:48 PM

    Welcome to the Commonwealth. ;)

    Reply
    1. J. Money July 7, 2013 at 10:05 AM

      Glad we’re now chillin’ in the same state!

      Reply
  20. Chris June 12, 2015 at 10:01 AM

    I loved living in Virginia some years back. Am planning on moving there again as soon as I retire.

    Reply
    1. J. Money June 12, 2015 at 11:08 AM

      Cool! We’ll be waiting for you :)

      Reply

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