My wife and I knew it would be hard to move to the other side of the country.
Our biggest challenge was the weather and our kids. Because we were moving to an entirely different climate, we had unusual preparations to make. My wife and I were used to hot summer days and mild, winter afternoons. We were trading the sunshine and beach lifestyle for skiing, snowboarding, and snowmobiling. My wife accepted a position at the firm, and the new job meant a move almost 1,500 miles away. We were thrilled about the prospects, but our two teenage kids were very upset and completely unhappy. They didn’t want to leave their friends, even though we tried to make the move sound like a wonderful winter oasis. When we arrived to our destination, nothing changed their mind. It was cold and icy, and no heat could fix that problem. The kids complained every day, even when we gave them a space heater for their room. My wife and I were fine with the space heater and the furnace, but the kids never acclimated to the cold temperatures. As soon as Diana and Jessica were ready to leave for college, they decided to go right back home. My wife and I were sad to see them leave, but we understood why they didn’t want to stay. Even though we have two heating machines at home, we still get cold during the icy January nights. Unfortunately, we need to stay here for five more years before my wife can retire. After that time, we might move back south again and live closer to the kids.