Over the last five years, my husband and I have toyed with the idea of moving.
While we love our cozy, close-knit neighborhood, where our neighbors have become like family to us, we often wonder what life would be like in a warmer climate where the cost of living is much less.
The winters in Westchester County can be long and hard, and it’s hard not to get cabin fever in our tiny abode. With three growing kids and two dogs, the long, cold days stuck in the house always add to the stress of keeping everyone content and warm when you can’t hang out in the backyard like we do the rest of the year.
During the winters, I dream of a bigger home where we aren’t on top of one another, and the kids have a massive playroom where they can retreat and play when the temperature is below freezing.
We decided to make a list of the pros and cons if we decided to move.
The pros would be more space in a bigger home, a warmer climate, a less expensive neighborhood, a new scene and town, and new friends and adventures. The cons would be us being far away from family and friends, having to pull the kids out of the only school and house they have ever known, trying to make new friends, and the stress of buying and selling a home at the same time.
As a teacher, it wouldn’t be too challenging to find a nice school to work at, but it would be difficult for my husband to find a job that he loves as much as he does now and that pays him as well. We joke that he would have to live in New York and take a flight to South Carolina every weekend to come home and see us.
We ultimately decided that the cons outweighed the pros, and we are not ready to make a major life-changing move.
We decided to put a pin in it for now and revisit the topic when my two youngest are at least in middle school or when my husband can retire in about seven years or so. We felt that at this point in our lives, it wouldn’t be the right time to take them away from their safety net of family and friends. I do think kids are very adaptable and resilient, and I know they would be fine if we decided to go for it, but I always feel like if I’m hesitant, it’s my gut telling me to think about it more.
We also love that our kids have a fenced-in backyard to play with their neighborhood friends, and a play date is always right around the corner, within walking distance. That isn’t something I am willing to part with yet.
Yes, we definitely need more space and have surely outgrown our home. When we bought our house in 2016, we had one daughter and a son on the way, and we also only had one dog. I never thought we would have so many people and animals living under one roof!
As for longing for the warm weather, well, I guess I just have to keep pestering my husband for a long tropical vacation or two. One day, I know we will have our dream home, and life will be calmer and more relaxing, but for now, we will enjoy the life we created in our home until my heart says we are ready to go.
