All Must Go: Chapter 1

Like R. Kelly, I'm going to break down the big story of selling our furniture into smaller stories because each one is unique and, as expected, very New York. When I say "very New York" that sometimes means "not easy and probably stressful." You'll get the gist soon enough and, if not, then refer to past stories.

Ben and I decided to sell all of our furniture on Craigslist. We did not have nice or expensive furniture. Rather, we collected our furniture like many New Yorkers - Craigslist, neighbors moving, and sidewalks (before the bed bug scare of 2010). It was time to return our things to Craigslist and complete our furniture's cycle of life.

We took pictures of everything and uploaded them to Craigslist. Ben immediately got tons of emails. Some emailers seemed legit, so he responded. Some emailers seemed sketchy and possibly murderous, so he trashed those. I really appreciated that since I, alone, would be passing on our furniture.

The first piece of furniture to go was our pressed wood nightstand. It went to a young guy attending Columbia University, who recently moved from California. I called him to sort through the details because, let's face it, West Coast people are very laid back and have no idea of how the East Coast operates.

The guy said he planned to carry the nightstand 10 blocks and one avenue to his apartment, almost one mile.

I rolled my eyes and nodded. He confirmed my previously held notion about West Coasters.

I said, "You will need something to transport the nightstand because it's an awkward size and it will get too heavy."

I actually worried that he would only make it halfway down the block before giving up and bringing it back for a full refund.

The line went silent for a few seconds and then he replied, "I've got a skateboard."

I said, "Perfect. See you in 20."

I got off the phone and dusted the nightstand. I patted the top and gave it a pep talk. I prepared it for its new home and the destruction it would probably face in an apartment full of college boys.

The guy arrived in 40 minutes (West Coasters) and we loaded it onto his skateboard. He wheeled it down the hallway and into our elevator. I closed the door and then ran to the living room window to watch him wheel it down the street until out of view.

That is how you do it in New York.


* I really do love West Coasters.

The nightstand.

How It Began

Ben said that the moment we learned that we would be moving from New York, everything would happen quickly. He was right. Like (almost) always.

On the last Friday in June, Ben learned that his company would allow him to work from Kentucky. On Saturday, the news sort-of sank in and we sat around the apartment in shock. On Sunday, we sort-of recovered from shock and told our families. On Monday, the second to last day of school, I told the administration of my departure. On Tuesday, we told friends.

In only 96 hours, we announced the biggest decision of our married lives to the world. 

We planned to and did move on July 31st. We had one month. One month to pack our apartment, sell our furniture, say goodbye to friends, visit last minute places, and drive 645.5 miles to Kentucky in a rented U-Haul. 

We did not dilly dally. 

We, as they like to say in Kentucky, "got-r-done."

The Big Decision

Ben and I made a decision.  A big decision.  A very, very big decision at the end of July.

We moved.

We. Moved.

Mooooooooooooved!

Not down the street. Not to another part of the city.  Not to another borough. Not to Long Island or New Jersey or even Connecticut.

Nope.

We moved... home!  Kentucky, we came.

I said it was a big decision.

Obviously, we love New York. We love the city. We love our friends. We loved our life.

But, there's always a but, it was time to go home.

We missed our families. It was hard to be far away all of the time. The 11 hour drive was too much for weekend trips, and the two hour direct flight kept getting more and more expensive. The Chinatown bus worked, but only when we had several days to recuperate and several years of life to lose. We no longer wanted to miss our nephew's ballet recitals or dinners with our parents or weekends with Aunt Dorothy.

We wanted to be present for all of those little moments in our loved ones' lives. Participate and not just watch from afar. Facebook updates, random text messages, and twice a year visits weren't enough anymore.

We started to think that owning a house might be fun one day, especially after writing enormous rent checks month after month. A place of our own to host friends sounded exciting. A place with a locked mortgage that wouldn't raise every year nearly drove us to delirium.

We mulled over the decision to move for about six months. We tossed around the idea, but then the idea became more. It grew and turned into a dream, which morphed into a tangible reality. By the end of June, the opportunity to move arose and we took it.  We said "yes" with 99.9% assurance and .1% trepidation (because every big change is scary).

Now, we live in Kentucky.

We are home, finally home... and I mean that literally. We moved in with my parents until further notice. That situation alone will lend itself to many future posts.

But between leaving New York in July and living in Kentucky now, I still have many New York stories to tell. So, the blog will stay "Itty Bitty in New York City," and I will still write about New York life. Except, now, a little more Kentucky-ness will seep into the stories. Eventually, the blog will probably be more about Kentucky than New York, but that'll be awhile.

Ben repeatedly asked why I hadn't mentioned our move yet. I didn't really have a solid answer, but this morning I realized why. I wasn't ready. I wasn't ready to completely let go of the idea of us no longer living in a crazy city surrounded by eight million people, some of whom we call friends. I hadn't fully grasped such a dramatic change. But, now, for reasons even unbeknownst to me, I am ready to announce it.

Moving was the right and best decision for us. But, it does not mean that it was easy. Like I said before, every change is hard, even when it's a good one.

I wipe tears from my cheeks as I write this, and my heart pounds for the five years of extraordinary experiences and people I encountered. My connection to New York remains strong. My love for New York never waivers. I am forever changed and forever thankful to the greatest city in the world, New York.

Sneak Peek

I visited my girlfriend who recently moved to New Jersey. I took the express bus to her new place and caught a pretty nice view of the city. Enjoy!