Another Big Move

Five years ago we moved from Tucson to Gilbert, Arizona. Two weeks ago, we returned from a summer in Montana. One month from now, we will be making another big move.

There are boxes everywhere. I have already made two huge hauls to the donation center, with more sure to come. As I stack books and wrap glass in paper, my heart pounds and my mind races. I find myself half thrilled with excitement, half heavy with grief.

We’re moving to Texas.

No, Jeff didn’t get a job with the Texas Rangers (everyone’s first question). He is still coaching for the Arizona Diamondbacks organization, which means we will be back here for Spring Training. But as a professional coach, he does have a true offseason, and we need a true offseason home.

With the skyrocketing home prices in the Phoenix area, and the fact that my entire family now lives in Arlington, Texas (where prices are much more in our modest range), we have decided to make the move.

And while we haven’t seen the house in person yet (yes you read that right), I both can’t wait to get there, and don’t want to leave.

One thousand miles from our front door lies a house with vaulted wood ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows, and a green-canopied backyard. One thousand miles from here are warm hugs and my parents’ gluten-free kitchen, my grandmother and sister…family.

But here. Here is friends. Here is community. Here is brand new babies who will grow up on on Facebook and Instagram instead of in front of my eyes. Here is five years of rooted living.

So as I take pictures off walls and tuck keepsakes into boxes, I will allow myself to feel all the feelings. And at the end of the day, I will give thanks for the friends who became family, and the fact that Spring Training happens every year.