After 29 years in Western North Carolina, 26 of them in this same house, we're going to be moving! Larry is retiring from NC Public Schools, and has accepted a teaching job in Tennessee. It will be at Highland Academy, where I went to school for my last two years of high school. The town is quite rural (or at least it used to be - I'm not sure anymore), about 30 miles northeast of Nashville. I'm looking forward to a change, but there are so many hurdles to jump before we can get over there! Just the thoughts of cleaning out and packing up 26 years' worth of junk built up in this house, and trying to sell it are overwhelming.
I don't know the timetable for the move, or even where we'll be living. I'm guessing faculty housing, but there may not be any available. I'd love the safety and convenience of living on campus, but most likely any house they provide will be old and small. We'll see. Maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised.
I'll also have to find a job, and I dread that. But until I find something, I'm just going to enjoy being a stay-at-home mom. It's the only thing I ever wanted to be. Since 1986 I've not had more than a week off at a time. Wait - I had a hysterectomy in 2001, and may have been off for a couple of weeks, but maybe not. (I've always done payroll every other week, so that wipes out any thought of a 2-week vacation.) Even when I started the job I have now 17 years ago, I worked my old job one day (New Year's Day 1997) and started my new job the next. He'll be drawing his NC State retirement, and I wish we could survive on just that and his new salary, but it's doubtful. Tuition will be higher now, since Claire will be entering the academy.
The girls don't really want to go and leave the grandparents here, but I think they'll be okay. I'm overwhelmed at all of the changes we'll need to make - everything from new drivers licenses to hair salons to doctors and dentists. In the long run, I think it's a good decision, and where we're supposed to be, but it's going to be a tough transition.
I don't know the timetable for the move, or even where we'll be living. I'm guessing faculty housing, but there may not be any available. I'd love the safety and convenience of living on campus, but most likely any house they provide will be old and small. We'll see. Maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised.
I'll also have to find a job, and I dread that. But until I find something, I'm just going to enjoy being a stay-at-home mom. It's the only thing I ever wanted to be. Since 1986 I've not had more than a week off at a time. Wait - I had a hysterectomy in 2001, and may have been off for a couple of weeks, but maybe not. (I've always done payroll every other week, so that wipes out any thought of a 2-week vacation.) Even when I started the job I have now 17 years ago, I worked my old job one day (New Year's Day 1997) and started my new job the next. He'll be drawing his NC State retirement, and I wish we could survive on just that and his new salary, but it's doubtful. Tuition will be higher now, since Claire will be entering the academy.
The girls don't really want to go and leave the grandparents here, but I think they'll be okay. I'm overwhelmed at all of the changes we'll need to make - everything from new drivers licenses to hair salons to doctors and dentists. In the long run, I think it's a good decision, and where we're supposed to be, but it's going to be a tough transition.
Part of the campus. I wish I had a better picture to post - this is off of their website.
2 comments:
Wow!! How exciting and scary at the same time :-) Glad it's not too too far away and you guys will be back to visit family. Let me know if there's anything I can do to help -- dogsitting if you need to go there for the wknd, someone to help pack -- whatever, let me know. I'm going to miss you guys.
I am just so excited for you! Life on a boarding school campus absolutely has its perks! We've done it for 23 of our 27 years of marriage. We tried to make a switch and teach at a day school once but that only lasted a year...we missed the many things boarding schools offer. Let me know your timeline and I'll come spend some time at your house packing. I'm a PRO as we've moved waaayyy too many times! There will be lots of things to do once you get there to get settled, but just make a list, take a deep breath, and work your way through it line by line. Honestly, it takes about a year to start feeling like home. But? It'll be an adventure and in the end, I think you're going to love it!
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