How We Got Here

I apologize for the non-running related post, but this is our last week in the apartment and I've been reminiscing a lot about how we got here. To recap, 2 years ago I drug Andy kicking and screaming (not really, he was more than willing to move) from Michigan back to my home state of Pennsylvania. I had moved to MI 3.5 years prior after doing the long distance dating thing so Andy and I could start our life together. I never felt at home while I was living in MI. In fact, the entire time I lived there, I never referred to MI as "home." When I left PA in October 2003, I left not only my family, which I'm so close with, but a great group of friends and a job I loved. Before I even arrived, MI had the odds stacked against it. Don't get me wrong, I was happy in MI, but it wasn't the place for me. I knew I could stay there and make it work because after all, all I wanted was to be with Andy. I never once mentioned wanting to move back to PA.

I ended up landing a job at a very large pharmaceutical company and while I didn't like my job, I dealt with it. About 9 months after I moved to MI, Andy and I got married (on the beach in Jamaica!!), and Andy started grad school for his MBA. It was a trying time. He would get home from a full day at work and go straight to the books. I'd be lying if I said it wasn't a long 2 years and that I wasn't lonely. But Andy made as much time as he could for us and about half way through his schooling, we decided to sell our town house and build a single home. The whole time I had an unsettling feeling and never really got into the details of the house. I could not stop feeling that the house was going to be too big and lonely for us. I always imagined my house filled with my crazy family, being loud, laughing, and having cocktails, of course. Sensing my uneasiness, Andy asked me out of the blue one day, "Do you want to move back to Philly?" Shocked, I began to cry and said "are you serious?". He hugged me and said, "let's do it."

The following weekend we pulled the plug on the new house and licked our financial wounds caused by our lost down payment. From there, we knew we had a struggle in front of us...finding jobs in the not so great economy and on top of it, Andy was switching careers. It never seemed real that we were moving back to PA until the day Andy got an offer. Figuring it'd be more difficult for him to find work, I held off on looking for something until we knew it was a done deal that we were moving. I'll never forget the day we found out he got a job. We had just landed after a week vacation in Punta Cana and Andy checked his voicemail. There were 2 messages from the HR person where he had just interviewed prior to our vacation. TWO! This had to be good!! We could not wait to get off the plane so Andy could call him back. It was also Valentine's day, our engagement anniversary!! Anyway, after what seemed like an eternity while Andy talked on the phone, he finally gave me the thumbs up. He got the job!! I once again, started crying. A huge weight was lifted, this was actually going to happen, I was moving home!! I was barely in the door before I was calling everyone I knew telling them the good news. I remember sitting on the kitchen floor talking to my mom, both of us in tears!! It must run in the family!

This news could not have come at a better time as the company I was working for announced the site was closing down. Yes, I was Pfired (anyone else??). Once Andy got his letter in the mail, I requested to be let go in the first lay off wave so we could move on. I was granted my wish and 2.5 weeks later, cats in tow, we were on our way home!

We rented an apartment for what we thought would be a temporary situation until we sold our townhouse in MI. I was unemployed for several months and it was starting to get really depressing. In August 2007 I accepted an offer back at the company I was at before I left for MI. Remember, the job I loved? Yes, I was going back there! Turns out this is also where Andy landed a job. This could not have worked out better...a personal chaffuer to take me in every day! Things were looking up, just had to sell the house in MI. Which we finally did after drastcially reducing the price a year and half after we moved to PA. Our "temporary" situation ended up lasting 2 years, with still unpacked boxes to show for it!

But today, we're counting down the days until we move into our new house this Saturday. It's been a crazy few years of being unsettled, but in the end, it's all been so worth it. Andy has made a home out here in PA and our relationship could not be better. We've been put to the test a few times and every single time we come out on top. We make such a great team and I can not wait to see what's in store for us next.

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