Today, we’re leaving Massachusetts, after living here for nearly seven years. That’s almost exactly the same amount of time I spent in my first-ever home, in a small farming town in Utah. I have loved living here, and our move to California is bittersweet. Gorgeous weather, an incredible job opportunity for Mike, and a whole new world for all of us!
We made a few final trips before leaving – one outing to the Boston Museum of Science where we ran into fellow bloggers Isra and Julia (it was a blogger tweet-up event) and enjoyed their lightning show and butterfly room, a day trip to Walden Pond – the kids enjoyed swimming in the lake, including Anna, and another day trip to see the Mayflower and Plymouth Plantation.
Mostly, we enjoyed the everyday things we have loved about living here – in the only home three of my four kids have ever known, and the only one Emma remembers.
Running on our gorgeous grass that didn’t die this year thanks to all the rain, and playing on our swing set (our new home has a yard too small to fit a swing set).
Enjoying crisp, freshly-picked apples:
Riding Magic the Horse one last time – thank you, J, for sharing your horse with our kids!
One last picture of my beautiful Japanese Maple:
And beautiful flowers from our yard:
Our boxes are packed and already on their way to our new home. We’re crossing the country with a van full of kids, diapers, clothes, Anna’s doll, the other kids’ Owie dolls, a bunch of books, and three (shoebox sized) bins of Legos.
What do you love about where you live?
MaryAnne lives is a craft loving educator, musician, photographer, and writer who lives in Silicon Valley with her husband Mike and their four children.
I hope your move goes/went well! We just moved last month, too, and while it was within the state, we made a HUGE lifestyle change. Enjoy your new home and new adventures. Beautiful pictures in this post, MaryAnne!
That is what ours will be also! Here’s hoping the adjustment goes smoothly for all of us!
I hope your journey is going well so far MaryAnne! Moving is such a bittersweet moment. Down the line your new home will be filled with amazing things and memories but those first few days of transition can be heartbreaking. I remember thinking, “I’ll never touch this door again! This is the last time I’ll walk this hallway!” etc.
Yes! It was strange to leave a place that was my life for the past nearly seven years. So many memories! I feel very grateful for pictures!
Wow! Seven years is a long time in one place. I’m looking forward to achieving that milestone here in Perth. :) We love it here so much that Ben has been turning down all sorts of exotic job opportunities in favour of staying right where we are.
I’m so glad you are all so happy in Perth!
It’s hard leaving, but new adventures ahead! YAY!
I also had a very hard time leaving Mass. It’s just one of those places. It’s easy to fall in love.
Must be hard to leave but such an exciting adventure too!
Definitely an adventure! We did love Massachusetts – enjoy your beautiful state for us!
Have a wonderful new adventure in Northern California. You will be deeply missed but I am glad, for one, that I can keep up with you via your blog and social media!
Isn’t the internet great that way? So thrilled I can keep up with you the same way!
Have fun on your adventures across country!
Thank you! It has been a great trip so far!
Wishing you the best of luck on this new adventure with your family. You are going to love the Bay Area and all the opportunities it will bring for your family. I hope we get a chance to meet in person while I’m there this fall.
We definitely need to meet up if I make it out there in time!
Have a safe and wonderful trip – can’t wait to hear about your new home!
Thank you, Jacquie! Our trip is going great so far!
Have a safe trip! I hope it’s wonderful and you really enjoy it.
It has been a great trip so far! Loving all the time hanging out as a family :)
Enjoy the start of a new chapter in your book of adventures! It can be difficult to start over but can also be exhilarating! We tried to look at moving as an opportunity to make sure that we were reinventing our days to include all of those things we didn’t have time for before. Best wishes for your trip!
I love your perspective on moving – thank you!
I’m going to miss you!!! Did you realize that we’ve lived within an hour of each other for 11 of the last 14 years? Amazing!
That is really incredible. I still can’t believe we will be living so far away from you. I’m going to miss you!!!
What a bittersweet time for you. Good luck on your cross-country adventure!
Thanks! The drive has been a lot of fun, so far.
Travel safe! I’ll be thinking of you and I’m so looking forward to hearing about your adventures in California but it has to be difficult to leave your home – you have created so many special memories there.
Thank you, Jody! We really enjoyed our years in Massachusetts, and I’m sure California will be a great adventure!
Oh how bittersweet. Good luck with your new adventures! I’m from Massachusetts myself and currently reside in NH. I love it here so much, it’s all I’ve ever known. Nice to have found your blog MaryAnne!
I really loved living in New England!
Have a very safe trip, MaryAnne. I want to hope that you and your family will love it here in Silicon Valley. I cannot imagine living anywhere else now :)
Thanks! Our trip is going well, and now that the house is all packed up the kids are anxious to get to California!
Safe journeys! You mentioned a yard too small for a swing set. Did you find a place? I complain about the Bay Area, but in all honesty, there’s so much I like about it. I would be sad once we decide to move on if the time ever comes. Luckily, the weather is great that we can play at the plentiful amount of parks almost all year round.
Yea, we found a place! I will email you with details :)
That would be bittersweet. It’s quite the adventure though. I’m in MO and love it here. However, I often think about moving to TX. I don’t think it will ever happen though.
Oh and my husband did lots of traveling to CA a few months back and he loved it there. He said it’s beautiful.
CA is definitely beautiful – I am excited to take my kids to see the California Redwood trees!
Enjoy your adventure! Our family has made 8 major moves over the past 17 years. We started in Massachusetts- our home, went to Michigan for 4.5 years, CT for 2 years, PA for 3 years, CA for 16 months, CT for 6 months, PA for 4.5 years and now to Illinois (we’ve been here for less than a year). It’s always for my husband’s job. We have twin girls who were 4 when we made the first move to Michigan. They’ve never gone to the same school for more than 3 years. They are well adjusted, love to travel and have friends all over the country. They are now in college in Pittsburgh and have chosen to stay there as we moved to Chicago. That was hard – leaving without them.
The adventure you’re giving them and the experiences are phenomenal. Enjoy the ride! California is beautiful. We lived in Thousand Oaks, in suburban Los Angeles! The weather is the best, but I always missed the fall.
Good luck!
That is a lot of moving! I will miss the fall, for sure, but I’m excited for mild California winters!