Northwest to Midwest: FAQ

We're moving!

After spending our first four years of married life together in Seattle, we are in the process of moving to the western suburbs of Chicago. It's been a whirlwind (and it continues to be!), but we're very excited for the adventures ahead. Things have been happening fast and we haven't had a chance to tell all our friends and family, much less keep you in the loop about the details. We'll try to post regularly so that you know what's happening with us. We'll begin with answers to the most frequently asked questions thus far: WHY ARE YOU MOVING? This could be a very long, complicated answer, but the short version goes a little like this: We believe God is moving us in this direction; we are excited to spend some time closer to Sarah's friends and family, including a core group of friends from college years at Taylor U and two of Sarah's cousins; Seth has never lived outside of Washington state and is looking forward to experiencing life in the Midwest; Sarah is excited to live in driving distance of her parents and extended family. WHY CHICAGO? Again, the primary answer is that we believe God is moving us there. We're excited to live close to some great friends and family and to develop community there. We do like that Chicago is centrally located and big enough to allow for easy direct flights back to Seattle. We won't actually be living in Chicago (as far as we know), since we expect to settle in the western suburbs in the Wheaton/St. Charles/Geneva area, about 40 miles west of downtown. WHAT ABOUT THE WEATHER? Yeah. We know. We're leaving the gray drizzle of Seattle in favor of ridiculously cold and snow winters in Chicago. We're abandoning the perfect sunny summers of the NW for the humidity and bugs in the MW. Will cold-natured Sarah survive the winters? Well, she made it through a childhood in Michigan and three winters in Indiana, but it's anyone's guess if long underwear, space heaters, wool caps, and down vests will be enough. We do hope for a few more sunny days, even if they are cold. WHEN ARE YOU MOVING? Believe it or not, we will be in Chicago by the weekend of Oct. 20th for my cousin Erica's wedding. Before the move, we are heading to Italy with Stephanie (Sarah's best friend and part of the reason we're moving to Chicago) from Oct. 2-10. This is a trip we booked before realizing we were about to move, so the timing is a little crazy to say the least. We will try to pack up before leaving for Europe, since we'll have a week after our return to move. WHAT ABOUT YOUR HOUSE? This has been a huge answer to prayer and confirmation that God's hand is on us. We spent June and July fixing up the house to get it ready to sell. We put the house on the market on August 25th and accepted a full-price offer one week later. We know that a quick sale from a pre-approved buyer in this rocky housing/lending market is truly a blessing. We are currently waiting for the inspection to occur before signing all the official papers, so we'd appreciate continued prayers for the sale to be a smooth, done-deal. We have loved this house and we'll miss it and our neighbors, but we're excited for whatever is next. IS KITTER MOVING, TOO? Of course! There is no way we could leave her behind. We're nervous about the transition being stressful for her--especially her soon-to-be-enforced new life as an indoor-only kitty. WHERE WILL YOU LIVE? We plan to spend the first weeks renting a room from our dear friend Stephanie--at least we hope she will still be willing to house us after we spend ten days in Italy together. We'll begin looking for a place to rent temporarily, since we'd like to keep an eye on the housing market there before we buy another house. WHAT ABOUT JOBS? We know it sounds crazy to admit that we're moving before finding jobs there, but "crazy" is sometimes a hallmark of God's mysterious ways. Seth's had a few leads on positions there, but we'll look more aggressively now that we know when we'll actually be in town. Sarah has several leads on freelance editorial & writing work in the area. We'll find temporary jobs if necessary, but we do believe that God will provide the right jobs at the right time, just the way he provided a buyer for our house at the right time. But your prayers are appreciated! SO WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW? We're trying to believe it's all really happening, but it just seems very surreal. We are trying to do some last-minute planning for Italy (which has been on the back burner due to the business of getting our house on the market). We plan to start packing up after the inspection (when the sale feels a little more "real"), and we are starting to schedule things like final dentists/dr. appointments, time with friends and family out here, and how to take care of things like selling our car, arranging the move, simplifying our possessions, etc. This is going to be a crazy two months! HOW DO YOU FEEL? We definitely have mixed emotions. First, there is the stress of the past months and the present moment: house renovations, getting the house on the market, trying to understand all the contracts and stuff that go along with a house sale, trying to do what it takes to go out of the country (to Italy) and then move across the country in less than two months. We are trying to take one day at a time, but that's a challenge. Next, we feel sadness about what we're leaving here: Seth's family, Sarah's brother, all of our friends, our church, our first home together, the familiarity of our life and routines here, and the comfort of generally knowing what to expect from the next day. But we also feel very excited about what lies ahead: we have peace that God is the one directing us and opening doors for us. We often feel like there is just enough light to see the next step, which is frustrating when we'd like to have a good idea of the bigger picture. But God is good and faithful, so we are trusting him and holding on tightly to each other. We believe this experience is bringing us closer to each other and we look forward to what the next chapter of life holds--no matter what it is. If God is inviting us to an adventure in the unknown, we're excited (and a little terrified) to say yes. So, here we go!