What I’m Most Looking Forward to About Our Move to New England

I mentioned in this post, that we are moving to New England this week! I’ve felt lots of different things about this move, but 90% of it is pure excitement to live somewhere new and different from Michigan (although I’ve heard the East Coast is a lot like Northern Michigan where I grew up, but we shall see). I’m also nervous, the good kind of nervous, about moving, because we’ve never been to that part of the country! We won’t have seen the house, the neighborhood, or anything about where we will be living until we roll up in our moving truck (thanks COVID!), yet despite the smidge of uncertainty and hesitation I’m feeling, I’m still so excited for our new adventure! Here’s what I’m looking forward to the most about moving to the East Coast.

Exploring a New Part of the Country with Robin

My husband and I love a good adventure, and what’s more adventurous than moving to a new part of the country without ever having been there? Probably quite a few things actually, but to me it seems like a pretty big deal at the moment, and it’s been difficult to sleep, because I just don’t know anything about the area beyond what I’ve read and heard from family. There’s nothing like experiencing something first hand and forming your own opinions, so I’ve spent a lot of time wondering what it will be like in our new home.

We will be near the ocean, not too far from New York City, and other states in New England, and there will be so many new things to see, do and learn. People have always said that living in Petoskey, where I grew up, is like living in New England, and I’ve heard the East Coast also has incredible fall foliage like we do up north, plus tons of wonderful things to do outdoors, lots of fun festivals and events, and gorgeous sunsets, so I think we are really going to love our new lives out there.

I think experiencing all of these new things will be even more enjoyable with my best friend by my side. Whenever I get nervous about our move, I just remember that no matter what happens, my husband will be there with me going through the same things (Can anyone recommend a dentist in Greenwich? What’s the best salon out there? I have no idea yet! lol), and I feel so much better about it.

Living Near Water Again

Growing up literally directly on the shores of Lake Michigan really shaped who I am and what I enjoy doing, and influenced my decision to pursue Environmental Sciences & Earth Sciences. I even have a minor in Water Law so that I could help understand the struggles our Great Lakes face and how we can protect them for ourselves and future generations.

Being raised on Lake Michigan made me sincerely love and respect bodies of water for how they care for us by providing so many fun things to do, tourism that keeps our communities alive, the fish we eat to sustain ourselves, and the inherent natural beauty of the lakes and our beaches, which of course made me passionate about protecting them. While attending U of M, I had to move away from Lake Michigan to Ann Arbor and then to Metro-Detroit after graduation, so it’s been years since I’ve lived so close to the water.

It’s going to be so exciting to learn about how different the oceans are from the freshwater lakes I’m used to, but I can’t wait to “dive” in!

Left: Holland, MI part of Best Beaches in Michigan   Right:  Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore

Volunteering at Beach Cleanups & Becoming More Involved in Our Community

I used to volunteer at beach cleanups once a week or so for years, and I still pick up garbage whenever I see it on the beach, because if I don’t, who will? Now that we will be living closer to a body of water, and one as massive as the Atlantic Ocean and Long Island Sound, I’m more invested than ever about getting involved again, however I can, to help be a good steward of our shared aquatic resources. I may not be the one making messes on beaches, polluting our waterways, or dumping garbage into the Ocean (although we are all indirectly responsible for these things in a sense), but I will do whatever I can to help make things better for everyone who relies on our waterways (which is all of us).

Expect to see more posts about volunteering, beach cleanups, and ways my local readers can get involved in caring for our communities too! I’d love to volunteer with you!

Eating Fresh Seafood

Oh gosh, if there’s one thing I can’t get enough of, it’s fresh fish and seafood. I know overfishing is a huge ecological problem so I don’t eat anything that isn’t responsibly fished or farmed, but I am a sucker for some great sushi, lobster, and other fresh seafood. I eat so much of it, I’ll probably end up dying of mercury poisoning someday lol. Since we will be living right by the Ocean, and because New England is famous the world over for its ridiculously fresh seafood, I can’t imagine we will get fresher seafood anywhere else!

Left: Aquamarine in Orlando   Middle: Pizzeria Portofino in Chicago   Right: Paper Station Bistro in Harbor Springs

Seeing New Wildlife

If you read about our time in Seattle, Scotland, and California‘s coast where I was desperately hoping to see whales, puffins, and new wildlife, you’ll know how stoked I am about potentially seeing some! I’ve heard there are lots of bears (I’ve only ever seen the tail end of a bear going into the bushes in Michigan‘s Upper Peninsula), and puffins are making a come back along some areas of the East Coast. I also hope to get involved in ethical whale watching expeditions, because I think whales are the most incredible creatures on our planet. Expect to see some updates of the beautiful creatures I find, from a safe and respectable distance, of course.

Lighthouses

Michigan has lots of lighthouses on our beaches around the Great Lakes, but many of them are either decommissioned, very small, or not very impressive, although I still think they merit a road trip for lighthouse enthusiasts. The original American lighthouses are, of course, in New England, so I can’t wait to go and see them! Maybe this is silly, but I think they’re really so beautiful, and the history behind not only how many ships they helped safely navigate the waters, but also the stories of the people and their families who operated them in often dangerous and lonely conditions are really fascinating to me.

Above: Point Betsie Lighthouse & Inn

Whale Watching!!

I know I mentioned wild life earlier, but if I see a whale in person, I’m absolutely going to lose it lol. I just love whales so much, I really want to see some! Haha.

Retracing My Ancestor’s Foot Steps

I mentioned in this post that I have distant family members who still live in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maine, New York, and Connecticut, and that my ancestors were both some of the very first people to come here from Europe and some were already living here as indigenous residents. My great-great-grandfather owned a steamship cruise line that operated out of New York, and sailed around the world, and I’d love to see where they lived and sailed from. So, for me to go back and see where some of my ancestors lived (and where some were killed during the Salem Witch Hunts, tragically), will be so fascinating to me.

My mother grew up on the East Coast before she moved to Michigan, so in a way it’s like going back home, only I’ll be going to a home I’ve never seen before, like my family who immigrated to the United States hadn’t seen their new home before making the dangerous trek across the Ocean. My family has always been inextricably linked to the water, whether operating a streamline cruise ship, fishing and managing the land in Scotland, or living off the lakes in Northern Michigan before (and after) colonizers arrived, so it just feels right to be moving back to the water. It’s going to be quite the adventure!

Close to Major International Airports

We live near the Detroit International Airport which is one of the best and easiest to navigate airports I’ve ever been to, but oftentimes flights are double or triple the price of the same flights at larger airports like O’Hare in Chicago and YYZ in Toronto, Canada. We will be so close to several major airports, particularly the airports in New York City, that we won’t have to decide between closer flights that take three times as long to reach our destination or direct flights that are a 8 hour round trip drive to the airport but 1/3 of the price. It’s going to be great once international travel opens up again!

Above: Holland, MI

Packing & Moving Update

I can’t believe we move THIS week! Time has somehow simultaneously been crawling at a snail’s pace, but also positively flying by in a flurry of visiting our favorite places one last time, seeing friends and family, fitting in last minute press trips in the area, making plans to return to Northern Michigan this summer, planning and setting up our new home remotely, and packing up our current house.

I know I mentioned that I was really nervous to be moving somewhere new, but it’s the same sort of nervousness I felt when I went skydiving for the first time, where I wasn’t sure what to expect but I was so eager and ready to jump out of the plane and see what it was like anyway. I’m hoping our parachute will open and we will have a smooth landing at our new home.