Swear words. Crying. Jumping all over and smiling until my face hurt. My first few minutes after getting the call were a fantastical blend of all the parts of me.

After a few months of interviewing, I’ve accepted a position with Amazon! We’re moving to Seattle!

When we first started dating, Dave & I talked about how much we wanted to break out of our comfort zones and live in a new place together. Dave mentioned Salt Lake City, I suggested somewhere in Colorado or California. What we agreed on without a doubt was our need to live by the mountains. Something a bit more metropolitan but also outdoorsy. Seattle felt like a great place to start – and after we visited last September, we knew it was perfect for us.

That first day was clouded in ethereal bliss. Now that some time has passed and we’ve put in our two weeks, it’s feeling a little more real. Now, the excited fear and the crossing-your-fingers-and-jumping-headfirst jitters blend into the cocktail of emotions. I know we’re both feeling everything from excitement to terror to nostalgia to invigoration. I’ve lived here a measly 5 years compared to Dave’s 30+, but I’m still so connected to this city. A lot of my friends are here and my family is under 2 hours away. I know the best way to get to Trader Joe’s during rush hour. I know which coffee shops and restaurants and breweries are the best and exactly how long it takes me to get to the gym in the morning (8 minutes). I know I could see my sister on just about any evening and cozy up with The Office. I anticipate quite a few tears over the next month and change, both happy and sad. But at the end of the day, I know this is the opportunity we’ve been looking for. A new city – together! What could be better?!

What’s Next?

Thankfully, Amazon will be making it easy for us in terms of relocating thousands of miles across the country. So even though I know it will be stressful for a time, making a cross-country move would have felt nearly insurmountable without help. I’m incredibly grateful they can help break down those barriers to pursuing my (our) dream.

In the coming weeks while we pack and make our arrangements, we’ll be doing a “Victory Lap” of sorts: visiting our favorite places all around Pittsburgh – more as a “see you later” and not a goodbye. (I really hate goodbyes. They’re too final. So if I don’t say goodbye to you and just hug you and say “see ya soon, friend!” – you know why). Obviously, we’re excited to post that recap here soon.

This blog has been such a joy to create together and now, I’m happy to know it can serve as a way for us to stay connected with friends and family and a perfect way to encapsulate our adventures in the PNW. We have no plans to slow down – in fact, I expect this whole new world will be just the beginning.

Aside from my four years at the University of Akron, I’ve spent all of my 32 years living in the Pittsburgh area. When I moved to the city seven years ago, it was exciting and new without being far from friends and family. This move is obviously completely different, and my biggest worry is missing the important people in my life, the ones that have made and refined my interests and beliefs, the ones that have been there to help me when I needed it.

Thankfully, we won’t be completely alone to start. Maura and I have some friends who live in the city, and honestly I don’t know who is more excited for this move – us or them. When these friends moved to Seattle from Pittsburgh just over a year ago, they had the same worries as we did. After a long, embarrassing but endearing night of public crying and reassurance at a few of our favorite bars, our friend accepted her position at Amazon and moved to Seattle with her husband and young daughter. It seems fitting that this same friend is the one who kickstarted Maura’s whole interview process, and gave us the opportunity to realize one of our dreams.

Which leads me to the elephant in the room… I won’t have a job when we move. My career readiness skills, without Maura’s help, were severely outdated and lacking. I have nearly 10 years of solid experience as a news videographer and photojournalist, but until Maura pushed and inspired me to work on it, my resume hadn’t been updated in over seven years. She’s completely reinvigorated my confidence in myself and in finding the next step in my career, and we’re hoping that having a Seattle address will bring some callbacks.

We’re ready for all of the new things a new city and environment brings, and I’m especially ready for fresh inspirations for my photography, which have been lacking in this Pittsburgh winter. I’m like Bilbo – I need mountains again, and I couldn’t be happier to go to them. To any friends and family reading this: flights are cheap. Let us take you to the mountains.

Thanks for reading, for loving us, and for making us feel lucky to have friends and family that make saying goodbye so hard.