For Starters, What's Going On!!

So much is going on in my life right now I honestly don't even know where to begin! So I guess I will start at the beginning because I have so many thoughts in my head I don't even know if I can type everything as fast as it is running through my head!

Basically, a couple of weeks ago Bill accepted a job as a Police Officer for the Horry County Police Department in South Carolina which would clearly require us to relocate and move to SC. This is a HUGE step for us because we have both lived in Massachusetts for our whole lives and it's where Allie has been raised by us so far. We both felt that it was the best move for our family though because 4 years ago when we graduated from BSC (BSU, whatever! Haha) I accepted the job as Apartments Manager/Conference Coordinator and moved into my apartment and Bill moved in with me and not a month later he was offered a job in Myrtle Beach that he turned down because I told him I was not moving away after just starting my job and if he went, our engagement (we had been engaged just a few weeks) was over because I was not prepared to do that. Selfish of me? Maybe. But I wasn't ready to up and leave everything I had known for the unknown at that point. So being the amazing guy that Bill is, he turned the job down and stayed with me. From there he did the ISO job at BSC which he hated, then he became the Manager of the American Firearms School, which was a great job but not what he wanted in the long term, and then he finally got the Public Safety job at Wheaton College. A good job, but again not what he wanted to do in the long term. Throughout all this, he followed me through all my moves around the BSC campus to different apartments, and supported me while I got my Masters degree. We even decided to start a family and raise her for a year in the residence halls, which has been great. Allie loves people and the residents love her! But now, it's been 4 years since we graduated, and it's time to move on...

With that being said, Bill goes down to start work on May 23, 2011. Just a little under 3 weeks! We have never been apart more than a few days and we will be for about a month before Allie and I drive down. On Friday is our 6 year anniversary so it is going to be hard without him and doing the "single mom" thing for a bit. (But people do it all the time, and for much longer, so I know we will do it). He helps out so much so that will definitely be an adjustment. Bill has to go down for orientation and hopefully a few days before he starts I am going to go down too and we will look at some apartments/houses. We were going to wait on a house but after looking around, it is honestly cheaper for a mortgage in SC than it is to pay rent for an apartment! Isn't that crazy?! I've been looking at listings a realtor sent us and they are beautiful 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom houses for $100,000 with a yard and a garage and everything we're looking for. I honestly get pumped when I look at them! But then, as always, my mind floods back to finances. We've had two incomes for years now, and while we don't spend much on ourselves, we don't always have a ton of money. We both have loans from school, two car payments, two insurance payments and credit card bills, among other things like groceries and just general necessities. So when we first go down there, I won't have a job, and honestly, I'm scared sh*tless about that. Will we be able to make it financially? Will I ever find a job? Will I find a daycare for Allie that we love as much as where she is now (I doubt it, no one will ever be as good as Julie)? Will I like it down there or miss my family too much? I don't know the answer to any of these questions and I am so scared! It pains me to admit that, but I am. I'm also excited, sad, and optimistic about the future. I've been an RD at BSU for 4 years now, and it has been amazing every day. Tonight, my boss Beth stood up and addressed the whole department about me leaving and she said some truly humbling words. I was completely blown away but also humbled and amazed. Everyone stood up and applauded me after and I just bawled. I knew leaving here would be hard, but I didn't know this hard. I've made some amazing friends, met amazing students, and I think really impacted some lives and tonight really drove that feeling home for me. I got countless hugs and well wishes, and it felt great. I am truly blessed, and I just have to keep that attitude when we move. I believe it's all happening for a reason, and God has big plans for us. Otherwise Bill wouldn't have been one of the 6 people offered a position out of the over 100 that applied, myself included.  So I am extremely proud of him, he deserves this more than anyone I know. He is one of the most genuine, hardworking and honest men I've ever met and I support him 100% in this venture, even if it's moving to an unfamiliar place.

So basically I'm starting this blog to keep my friends and family updated on this big move and to also share my feelings because I don't always do that, but I think it will help. Moving this far away is a big deal, and I think this will help the transition if I can keep my support network strong and let people know what is going on with the job search and the (hopefully home) search.