Moving to South Carolina

Moving to a different state has been something I have been wanting to do for years. With me finally graduating college and Cameron recently checking out of the military, there seemed like no better time to make the move. All we have been wanting is to have our own space for us to call home. Now that we are settled into our cute 2 bed, 2 bath apartment with Boba of course, there are some things we wish we did different or planned for better.

1) To start off, I wish Cameron helped pack more.... I told him we had a lot of stuff, but he did not believe me! For reference, to make the trip from New Hampshire to South Carolina, I stuffed my SUV with stuff, he stuffed his truck AND towed a trailer, while his dad drove Cameron's Audi sedan. Not one of us had room to spare for an extra bag. A few days prior to this, Cameron was positive we would not even need his trailer to make the journey. Little did he know we almost needed more space or to leave stuff behind! So essentially, we should have planned the space better and more in advance to ensure we could fit absolutely everything because we did end up leaving a few small things behind.

2) Next, I wish I had gotten a job offer before moving. I have been applying to places since January, probably nearing the 200 mark by now. I knew finding a job after college would be tough but did not expect it to be this bad. I have gone for jobs I don't want, have nothing to do with my degree, and require little to no experience, and I still have nothing lined up. What baffles me is that I applied to Target and said I was looking for full-time hours. They denied my application because what they were looking for did not match up with what I was looking for. Like huh? I said I could work full-time? Extremely frustrating. I just do not want to live so frugally with my little family but unfortunately, it is what has to be done for the time being.

3) Not something necessarily in my power, but I wish I had some family members or friends that already lived here. Reasons for this is they could show us the ins and outs of the area and just to have some company. It is ironic that one of my best friends went to the University of South Carolina in Columbia, which is only 20 minutes from our apartment, and the day Cameron and I drove down here, she was on her way back to New Hampshire. All her and I wanted to do was to see each other but our timelines did not agree! No, instead of her visiting up north when she can, it will be me.

 While there are circumstances I wish were different, there are also things I am glad we did and would not change. Here they are!

1) Cameron and I knew the ride was going to be longgggg, so we decided to take the more scenic route that added about an hour to our total estimated ride time. We liked that going this way, there were no tolls and we would be driving through the mountains of New York and Pennsylvania. This allowed us to skip the Jersey Turnpike traffic, avoid driving through the Bronx with an unenclosed trailer, and not having to pay tolls on roads and bridges such as the George Washington. So even though it was even longer than the other routes to get down here, that is the only route we will go. 

2) Most importantly, we finally moved! Cameron and I have been making plans about where we were going to live ever since we met. Obviously, we had to wait for him to get out of Guam first, but the thought of us living together and having our own place gave us something to look forward to and work for. Ironically, Cameron was the one to have doubts and be hesitant about moving. He did not want to be stressed or do it wrong. I told him there was no avoiding those antsy or anxious feelings, and moving would only heighten those emotions. Now, he tells everyone to just rip the bandaid off and do it, which is exactly how I explained to him it is now or never. My thought process was that I did not want to start a career up north just to move down south and have to restart in a couple of years. Cameron agreed with that and started to look for jobs here around February. It took two roundtrips from Boston to Georgia, dealing with rental cars, job interviews, traveling alone, and waiting for Cameron to finally get a job offer from BAE Systems as a welder. I couldn't be more proud. So once he had his job lined up, I think it finally clicked for him that we would be able to do this and the best things in life are not easy to obtain. This would not be an easy and stress-free process, but if we worked with each other instead of against each other, it would be perfect. 

3) Finding an area and apartment that would suit our wants and needs was obviously extremely vital in the planning process. I had never been to Lexington, SC before moving here at the beginning of this month. However, when Cameron flew down for one of his job interviews, he had some time before having to go to the airport, so he decided to drive up here from Georgia to check it out. I had done some research about the town, but nothing compares to seeing it in person. We have absolutely every single department store, restaurant, and school you could ever imagine all within 0.2-1.5 miles from our apartment. It's so convenient, it's crazy. The one downside to that is the traffic on the main road, Sunset Blvd. The locals here blame the newcomers and said the traffic is unbearable. While it is unfortunate, it is no different to cities like Manchester or Concord back in New Hampshire, so at least we do not find it too painful. 

My biggest takeaway from moving is if you are going to do it, do not wait! Like I said, rip the bandaid off and do it because if you don't do it now, you never will. There will always be something that comes up or an excuse that is made. That is the anxiety talking. Just do it because everything will all fall into place, I promise.