I wanted to share my story of moving from the North back to where I currently reside in South Florida. From New Jersey back to my roots of Miami, FL. It all started about seven years ago when I decided to follow the love of my life and move to his hometown in South Jersey. Immediately, I convinced my beautiful daughter on the same weekend that I had moved.
New Jersey was good to me. I thought it was a great place to raise my kid and have my family. I adjusted well and started my career as a paralegal. However, after the country’s shut down for Covid-19 , I changed my views, and ultimately my heart was not there anymore. I had no clue how hard it would be and that embracing this change would be difficult yet rewarding. I had an opportunity to move back to my childhood home, where my mom lived. But the feelings I had of moving were anxiety-ridden and very fearful. How was I going to get through this? I started by doing some research. I found out there was Auto Train that goes from Virginia to Florida. We were ready for our adventure. I was so excited when I found out it could even relocate my car! It was time to change everything I knew and start a new beginning. I chose to stay on track with my decision and not look back. I worked more to save up, and I started packing for a couple of months. I waited for my daughter to finish school in June, and a couple of weeks later, it was time for the big leap in early July! I decided that was the best way to go.
It was exciting yet bittersweet. I had been preparing my child for months by telling her about our move, she was so happy and that began to rub onto me. We packed as many things as possible into my vehicle and drove 6 hours to Virginia from NJ. The seventeen-hour Auto Train ride was something out of a storybook. The views, the coziness, the people. It was an experience I was glad to share with my daughter.
Once we got to Florida, I had another four-hour drive. I had a rush of gratitude because I had made it back home safely and efficiently. It felt surreal that I was finally diving back to my hometown down Interstate 95.
When I settled back into my home, I immediately started my job hunt. One week and several interviews later, I was offered my dream position. I got back into my paralegal profession with a leading firm in Fort Lauderdale that opened up many opportunities for me. Almost instantly, my life was back on track after the darkness and doubt. I wanted to hug myself. I was so proud of my determination and execution.
It was all worth it in the end. I learned that letting go of something and having faith that things will work out for the better can take me long, only to move forward. I am content and satisfied with how everything transpired and fell right into place. And that reassures the saying, “When one door closes, many open up. I’m glad I got to experience that firsthand what true grace, trust, having the courage, and believing in yourself look like. For all my moms that think it would be hard, I am here to say yes it might be hard, but take the leap of faith and it will all be worth it in the end, and trust your intuition not anyone else idea of what is good for you.
