Being torn about where to settle down & raise a family is not easy or fun.
When we moved to WA, I really didn't think I would be happy for the next 2 - 3 years. It had nothing to do with the fact that everyone says WA is the most depressing state or that it supposedly rains all the time there. It had everything to do with leaving my family & friends and moving clear across the country. I've lived in another state before, but TX is still "southern" & required only an 11 hour drive to come back "home". WA, on the other hand, is 5 full days of driving or 1 full day of flying.
There were good & bad times while we were there. The worst time was when my dad passed away. I was pregnant, 2,652 miles away & not with him as much as I should have been. After that, I was too far away to really offer my mom any comfort. The guilt of being so far away during all of that will probably be with me forever.
The good times are much easier to talk about. Olivia liked her school & she was very active in karate. Eric & I had friends from his work, the school, the dojo, our neighborhood & church. We were such an active family; there was always something going on. Adelle was born in WA (she's officially a Washingtonian) & my pregnancy was amazing... I guess mostly because of the climate.
We exercised more (rode bikes, went for walks, etc) because the air is easier to breathe. We had our very first white Christmas (right at 3 ft in a very short time). We tried new things like skiing & snowboarding. There were tons of museums & children's groups & festivities. Olivia signed to a modeling agency, Eric played with an amazing band & I had more opportunities for photography than you can imagine. The scenery is absolutely breathtaking & there is so much culture. Everyone recycles, tries to be as "green" as possible & accepts you for who you are without hesitation (I'm thinking because it's pretty liberal up that way).
I honestly can only tell you ONE thing that I don't like, or love, about living in the Great Northwest, and that's being away from my mom & brother. I have one friend here that remained my friend during my hiatus. Everyone else closed that chapter of their life & moved on without bookmarking me a place somewhere. I'm not mad about it; it just sucks. Eric, the girls & I really have no life outside of our house. Sure he works & goes to school, but we have no social life. We feel so very out of place. I really don't think we belong in MS, let alone Purvis. I can't talk to people here about it because they take it personally or get their feelings hurt. It has nothing to do with anyone else really. It's about our family & where we are happier. I don't want to just exist or be content or survive or make it somewhere; I want to live.
If we ever left though, I'd be terrified. I wouldn't be spending enough time with my mom (the girls with their meme) & family is so, so important....
-Celeste
