Moving to North Carolina

I’m writing this on my final evening in California. Of my eleven years in the US, I spent nine in California, split equally between the Bay Area and Orange County in Southern California. In the last three years, some of my family has spent a lot of time in Florida. I also spent time there and hated it.

I also lived in Boston and Oklahoma, but that was in my younger years. Most of the past decade, though, has been spent in California.

Orange County has been the best place I’ve ever lived. I know “best” lacks sophistication — no place is perfect — but I fell in love with Southern California from the day we arrived in Irvine in the spring of 2019. That love grew stronger with time. If I were free — no constraints — to pick a place to live forever, it would be Southern California. I’d run the trails of Orange County until I was too old to run anymore. I’d then hike them.

But there are constraints — huge ones. It’s so damn expensive that I couldn’t find a way for my large family to live here.

My wife and I spent many months debating where to “re-consolidate.” In the end, we chose North Carolina, specifically the Raleigh area. She visited several times and liked it. It seems that, as a family, we can make things work there on multiple fronts.

I’ve never been to North Carolina. I’m moving to a place I’ve never even toured — not even a brief visit, like when you’re checking out housing. But due to various circumstances, I had to move quickly and sign the lease.