Moving Forward - - Living the Life We're Meant to Live

I used to be excited to call myself a resident of Florida. Living here was easy but lately, I'm talking the past several years, it has been way too hot for majority of the year. Doing anything outdoorsy has been a chore when actually acted upon (Last weekend I slathered sun block all over my three year old and we hit the beach. After being there for ten minutes he said he "hated it" and wanted out.). Most of the time, I keep to my air conditioned home. It's easy and way more comfortable. Over the past year, there were only a handful of & nbsp; "open the windows" days.

The next year is going to be filled with changes for my family and I. My oldest will be a senior in high school and once he graduates, we're moving onward to build the life we're meant to live. That means...leaving the Sunshine State (and quite happily I might add).

Where will we go? This is to be decided. I have a list of States I would love to end up living in, but I don't know how my husband and I will finally decide. There's so much to consider!

My picks? Washington (State), Pennsylvania, Virginia or North Carolina. Living on (or very near) a coast is simply a must. Since my husband recently finished getting his degree in Network Administration, being near a big(ish) city is also a must so he can have a fulfilling career in the industry. I'm adamant about being able to comfortably enjoy the outdoors year-round. I realize that means embracing the fact that snow will once again be involved (I lived in New Jersey for the first nineteen years of my life and my husband and I lived in Colorado for six). Give and take, yes?

Up until three years ago, we've always lived in apartments. It has its positives and negatives. It was nice not having to worry about caring for the grounds and such. Now we live in a house and it's so fantastic not having to worry about the people above, below, or next to you (sharing a wall). We also have a garage which is a blessing in disguise. I figure, if we rent a house with a garage big enough for both our cars to fit, we'll be one step ahead of snowy weather. The other night we were joking about having to shovel snow. Then we're all, duh, we have sons for that AND snow blowers have come a long way. I'm down for snowman building, sleigh riding, hot chocolate filled, lazy Winter days. Especially after dealing with the deadly heat that has become Florida, yuck! Four seasons, what a concept.

I've been looking into Sequim, WA specifically this week. It's a few hours drive time from Seattle and has the lowest rainfall of the entire State (most people hear Washington and instantly think of nothing but rain). I'm drawn to the idea of having both the ocean and the mountains within reach. The pictures of the city blow me away. I realize this isn't much to go on for such a big life changing decision, but it's what I have. For now.

Berry picking!

Lavender