One Year back in Delaware

There is a Word document on the desktop of our computer titled “Possible Places to Live.”  Have you ever done that? Just thought about packing up and moving somewhere that you didn’t really know anyone but you were ready for change and liked what the area offered?  We’ve taken that thought into action twice now. It’s thrilling, stressful, exhilarating, overwhelming, adventurous, torturous and down-right crazy. But I never claimed to be sane…

We wrote the "Possible places to live" document in early 2012 when we were still living in Indianapolis and considering another move. The two years we had spent in the Midwest were fun, but after Johanna’s birth a couple months prior and Adrian’s continuing health challenges, we wanted to return somewhere on the East Coast that was closer to our family.

However, we just weren’t ready to return to Delaware…we had been so eager to leave in the first place. We wanted to be within a few hours drive instead of 12+ hours away, and we wanted a place with culture, great schools, job opportunities, and lots of stuff for kids. We ended up in a suburb of Richmond, Virginia where we were just over three hours from family, perfect for a weekend trip and sometimes the grandparents even drove down for just the day.

In our moves, we've realized that many Americans are geographically challenged and have no idea where Delaware is located. Here is a little graphic showing the places we've lived over the past 3 years to help.

But that did not last, as I’ve talked about before. It ended up not being close enough. And here we are, back in Delaware. 

This week marks one year since our return to Delaware. We left the state on an adventure fouryears ago, only to return three years later. We gained a few battle scars along the way, but we are ultimately more fulfilled and well-rounded, and we met some wonderful people along the way.

So how does it feel being back in Delaware a year? Overall, it’s been a rather Boring year. Before you pass judgment, hear me out. Boring can actually be a wonderful thing.

When we look at our lives in whole over the past decade and the major events that every year has held, this past year was one of the quietest years ever. For instance, from last April until now our little family has experienced…

• No Seizures
• No Births
• No Surgeries
• No Buying a Home
• No Selling a Home
• No Hospital stays or ER visits
• No Moves since we arrived
• No Major changes in Adria's health

We are actually thankful to have a “boring” year, since so many others have been jam-packed like the Year before that Held So Much. But in this year, we have enjoyed regular visits with our families and rekindled friendships that had lain dormant during our years away.  We gave up having countless restaurants, shops, dance studios, a zoo and children’s museum with 15 minutes so that we could live within 15 minutes of family. It’s taken us time to adjust, but the trade-off is worth it. The girls have so appreciated all the time with grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins, and we’ve enjoyed visiting with more people we know. 

Of course, Adrian experienced a big adventure that broke up the "boredom" of this year when he fulfilled a lifelong dream and traveled to Europe in January.

When we came back last year, everything was in a blur with the sudden move and Adrian’s uncertain health and my new job and getting Adria registered for pre-school.  We had no idea what to expect or how long we’d stay. It’s taken us almost a year, but we are realizing that right now we don’t want any big changes again. We really just want to settle down in a place and not keep on with our trend of moving 9 times in 10 years! The madness needs to stop. We need to be still…and live. And give.

So as I find myself working on the street next to where I grew up, the place I dreamt about leaving, there is an attitude adjustment happening.  I am busy selling new homes to people coming from different states all around us to live in Delaware. Quiet, little southern Delaware made their list for “Possible Places to Live.” With Low property taxes, fun and varied beaches, slower pace of life, light traffic (except on summer weekends), and good-hearted people - apparently there’s a lot to love about the place of my birth.

After a year back in Delaware, I’m learning to fall in love with this tiny state, that’s smaller than all but Rhode Island.  Family is a great reason to be here, but living here should be more than that. I want to enjoy wherever life takes us. It’s going to be my challenge over this next year to find as many wonderful things about Delaware as possible. We should live here by choice, not just necessity.

Let’s start with you sharing some of your favorite things about Delaware…. Thanks! Maybe I'll start a series of posts about Falling in Love with Delaware.