Last weekend, we went up to my dad’s house in New Hampshire for two days of R&R. It’s a 5 hour drive so we spend a good chunk of the weekend driving every time we visit. Yet we still go home at the very least once a month if not more.

A big part of that is spending time with my family and seeing my 3 year old brother, Jackson. Come on, how can you stay away from such a cutie pie?

Another big reason that we visit so often is the feeling of peace and quiet that we can only feel when we’re outside of this concrete jungle. I talk a lot here and on Instagram about how I feel anxious and claustrophobic in New York with it’s constant clamor, “interesting” smells, crowded subways, and tiny apartments.

When I first moved here, I was bright eyed and enamored by the skyline, the late-night bars (and pizza!), the fancy people, and the hustle and bustle. Now? I’m over it. Every time we drive back to the city from a weekend trip, my body tenses up and my eyes start to fill with tears as soon as I see the skyscrapers in the distance.

I think that’s a sign that it’s time to peace out, don’t you think? Manhattan has been an amazing experience. In the last 6 years, I’ve worked for 3 incredible companies, building a career in marketing. I met my husband at the 2nd of those 3 companies and that’s worked out pretty well! I’ve made wonderful friends, started a business, collaborated with some of my favorite brands, and eaten at some of the best restaurants in the world (OMG should I stop this humble brag already?).

I’m finding that a lot of friends my age (late 20’s/early 30’s) are starting to dabble with the question of, “Where do I want to raise my family?”, which might not be the same place where we moved right out of college 7 years ago. It’s like a second quarter life crisis but with a lot less crying and a whole lot more rational thinking!

I feel so blessed to have been able to live in New York for so long but our rational thinking has lead us to believe that the time has come to starting to look for homes in the ‘burbs. I can’t wait to share the process with you all and take this next step in life!