Happy Monday and Happy July everyone!
I know I was a little vague in my posts last week about our impending move, but it was really important to me to really stop and reflect about our experience living in Lake Tahoe. So now that I’ve had a chance to do that, I figured I might as well fill y’all in on our next chapter!
As you may know by now (or have figured out from the title of this post!) we’re moving to…
This move is definitely an answer to prayer, and we could not be more excited! Although we’ve really enjoyed moving around the country for Cameron’s job these past few years, we’ve known for awhile that Portland was ultimately where we wanted to end up and put down roots. Cameron grew up in the suburbs of Portland, his parents still live there, and all his brothers and their families live in Oregon as well. We’re really looking forward to being closer to them and having family nearby! Also, I’ve had the opportunity to visit Portland many times in the past five years while going to see Cam’s family and I’ve really fallen in love with the city. It’s such a vibrant place with so many great restaurants and lots to do, plus it’s really well-located as you can really easily get out to the mountains or to the ocean.
As you probably know, I am originally from Michigan and I’ve had quite a few people ask me how I really feel about not moving back there instead. Honestly, Michigan will always be home to me. I absolutely loved growing up there, and I think it’s a really wonderful place. I do miss my family and friends in Michigan a lot, but at the same time, I just don’t necessarily feel that moving back to Michigan is the right choice for me. Having lived out West the past two years, I really love the laid-back lifestyle out here and feel that this is where I’m supposed to be. I’ve really grown to love Portland and am so excited to finally have the experience of living in a city. Plus, Cam’s family is great, and now that we are going to be able to see them more often, I’m hoping that it will be easier to make trips to Michigan since we will no longer have to divide our time trying to travel to two separate states just to see family.
So as for the details of the move, for those that may be curious…
Why: After multiple phone interviews and flying out to Portland for an in-person interview, Cameron recently received an excellent job offer with a great company and so that’s why we are making the move at this time. Although he really liked his current employer, he knew that ultimately we wanted to relocate to Portland and that wasn’t really an option with them. Plus, he was kind of ready for a change and wanted to get a different experience at this point in his career. His new position is an engineering role in Wind Energy (which is what his background is in/what he’s passionate about) and it’s a good step up for him career-wise. And because I have a job that I enjoy where I work remotely, we’re going to be able to make this move without both of us having to look for a new job which is awesome!
When: Cameron starts his new job next Monday (7/8), so really soon! The slight wrinkle in the situation is that we had already booked tickets to come to Michigan for a wedding on July 6th, so this news caused us to have to change plans slightly. I actually flew to Michigan on Saturday so I could attend a bridal shower for another one of my friends yesterday. I will be staying here in Michigan from now until Sunday, so I can go to my friend’s wedding on Saturday and be home with my family for 4th. Meanwhile, Cameron is no longer coming to Michigan to attend the wedding, and instead he is staying in Tahoe. His family is going to be coming down to Tahoe later this week to help him finish packing and move all our stuff up to Oregon! (So yes, I am basically just missing out on the move–which not gonna lie, is pretty awesome for me!) I fly back from Michigan on Sunday but I changed my return flight so instead of flying back to Tahoe, I am flying straight to Portland…and Cam will already be there with all of our stuff! I get in on Sunday night, and then he starts work the next day!
Things definitely happened fast with this move, but I’m glad it’s all working out in the end!
Things definitely happened fast with this move, but I’m glad it’s all working out in the end!
Where: As for where we are going to live, we have not picked out an apartment yet and will be staying with Cam’s parents for the near future. Things have been really chaotic lately with getting ready to move, so we figured it made the most sense to just wait until we we’re both in Portland and could go check out apartments in person before signing a lease. Cam’s office is right downtown, so ideally we’re hoping to find an apartment close by so he’ll be able to walk to work. I definitely have some apartments in mind already, and I’m hoping that once I’m finally in Oregon that we’ll be able to tour some of the buildings and sign a lease ASAP! I am honestly SO excited to live in a city and be able to walk to restaurants, stores, farmer’s markets, etc. I’ll definitely be sharing more once we’ve gotten things figured out!
So I think that pretty much covers all the details of our move for now! I’m really thankful that Cameron’s family is helping out with our move, and I’m really enjoying being home in Michigan with my family this week. It’s definitely slightly very surreal that I will not be flying back to Tahoe on Sunday, but instead I’ll be flying home to Oregon! I’m so thankful for how everything worked out, and I can’t wait to settle in to our new city! Xoxo
PS: If you have any recommendations for restaurants/apartments/things to do in the Portland area, I would love to hear them! Xoxo
{You can find links to all the Portland graphics here}