inspiration

Connecticut (so far!)

Whenever a big life decision has to be made, there’s always the worry of “is this the right choice?!” At least for me, I find myself going back and forth, on the fence, and off the fence. I dream up beautiful best case scenarios and construct miserable worst case scenarios, unsure of how the dice will ultimately fall.
Garrett and I spent the better half of the past year trying to figure out where to move. Stay in New York and opt for Brooklyn? Buy a house in Rhode Island? Move closer to one of our families? Try a completely new part of the country? No matter what we thought, we always came back to Connecticut though.
If nothing else, it’d be a great one-year transition out of the city. Close enough to commute in as necessary (if necessary). Far enough away to figure out if moving from NYC was the right choice. And it would also give us the flexibility to explore some new places around New England while searching for a good fit to plant roots.
While I’m not saying Connecticut is where we’ll live forever (and definitely not ruling that out either), I will say that we both whole-heartedly agree that we have made what seems like the perfect choice.
The three of us, including Teddy, are incredibly happy.
Once we got over the hurdle of the actual act of moving, I don’t think we ever looked back. It felt right pretty much immediately. I had no sinking feeling as I forked over a chunk of my savings for a new car. (The thought of having it and driving it for the next decade-plus felt like a relief, in fact.) Settling into a new apartment with a washer/dryer (!), huge kitchen (!!), and an extra room for an office (!!!) couldn’t have felt more normal. It’s exciting yes, but it mostly felt like gaping holes that were there only a week before were being securely filled. Even going on vacation didn’t feel as thrilling as we both wished we could have soaked up another summer week in our new town.
I’m very excited to see how the rest of this year unfolds. In the meantime, I’m sharing some snapshots since we moved in:
We have a long way to go with furnishing our apartment. There’s something to be said about starting fresh when it comes to building a home as a couple. No more pink couch, no more floral wallpaper. It’s been fun building a gender-neutral little home that fit both of our tastes. I spent forever searching for great bedding that we’d both like (and that wouldn’t break the bank). I felt like I hit the jackpot when I found this oxford cloth striped duvet to go with our new bed.
We’ve also been indulging in Dairy Queen as often as we can. I think we’re a little addicted.
Being so close to water is a major perk. It’s something I definitely took for granted while living in Florida. I didn’t realize how important it was to me until my options were the Potomac River (DC) and the East River (NYC). I crave the beach! I’m not so secretly counting down the days until October 1 when dogs can run around the beaches! Teddy will love it.
Old Juicy Couture Bathing Suit, Vineyard Vines Coverup (c/o), and Needlepoint Hat
I spent the day at the beach with my friend Victoria who is currently living a few miles away. (You may remember her from my Georgetown days as Little V!) One of the strangest and most amazing things has happened since we moved… I’ve realized just how many friends I have outside of the city. A bunch of my closest friends moved out of NYC this year, especially this summer. It felt like leaving high school. Unsure of whether I’d make friends on “the other side.” I’m so happy to have friends that I know nearby and readily available for weekend adventures, like finding lobster rolls after spending the day at the beach.
Obligatory Post-Lobster Roll Sunset Picture.
The kitchen is still in progress too. We’ve been busy purchasing pots, pans, supplies, and gadgets as well as stocking the pantry with food. Nothing makes me happier than having the storage space for 18 rolls of paper towels purchased from Costco with room to spare!
I obviously had to make my mom’s famous chocolate chip cookies to share with our friends in the building.
You know who’s having the best time out of all of us? TEDDY. This pup is absolutely soaking it up. He’s still uneasy about driving in cars, but that’s just about the only thing he doesn’t like. We found an incredible dog park not too far away and it’s been an afternoon ritual to stop by to let him burn off some steam. We’ve met some other dog owners already and it’s just such a fun, welcoming group. 
Teddy’s new nickname at the park is “that frisbee dog” since he is always always fetching that frisbee of his. 
Yep, that’s one happy pup having the best day ever hahah!!!


xoxo
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25 Comments

Audrey Lin

Connecticut seems like a welcome change of pace, and I'm so glad to see that all three of you are settling in so well! Oh gosh, bulk buying at Costco is so fun. Costco is just fun. One of the first things I did when I got back from abroad was go have a huge slice of pizza and a churro from Costco 🙂 *childhood memories* -Audrey | Brunch at Audrey's

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Stephanie

I'm glad that you're settling in well in Connecticut. I'm thinking of moving from my little beach town to Sydney as a way to transition into the city before I make an even bigger move to Melbourne. It's been a while since I lived alone (i'm currently living in a share house) and i'm looking forward to it.

I guess it's time for me to start making all the necessary savings for next year.

xo Stephanie
http://www.stephanieslookingglass.com

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Grace

Hi Carly!

You keep saying you moved to and now live in Connecticut… But Connecticut is an entire state! Not exactly a specific location. I understand if you're not sharing because of privacy concerns, but I'm hoping you wouldn't mind narrowing it down a little.

Thanks!

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Carly Smith

So happy to hear! I am glad you are settling into your new home smoothly! I noticed you guys have a Waring Blender — great investment! My parents still have theirs after 25 years of use! XOXO

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Andrea Buginsky

Great pictures!

I felt the same way when my husband and I started talking about moving to Kansas. We were back-and-forth over whether or not it was right for us, leaving our families in Florida to come to a place I had never been and he had lived in for only two years in his teens. But it was a place that he felt was HIS home, and really wanted to come back to. As we talked about it and researched it, it felt more and more right.

We've been here two years now, and this definitely feels like home for both of us. I'm so glad you feel that way about Connecticut. Sometimes, you just have to listen to your heart.

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PreppyPinkInCT

Welcome to Connecticut! Similar to you, I moved from the UES to Darien 13 years ago! From the photos you've posted, I suspect you live a town or two away! I love the coastal part of Fairfield County! It's so easily accessible to NYC that I feel like I've got the best of both worlds at my finger tips! There are lots of beautiful spots in this part of CT as well as throughout the state so make sure you explore inland as well! Look forward to seeing you out & about!

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krispy1138

My husband and I are also looking at CT as a possible place to live (we are currently in Chicago and as I'm sure you can relate, we can't wait to get out of the city).

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