It’s been a year since my husband and I left Arizona for our new life in Massachusetts.
It’s been ~8 months since I started working again.
This is Part 3! You can find Part 1 here and Part 2 here. Again I’m splitting it up between personal and business. This will cover my personal thoughts of a year in MA. Please forgive the stream of consciousness.
Time flies when you’re starting a new life, am I right? I can’t believe it’s been a little over a year since we made the trek across the country. We moved into our home in the sleepy town of Winchendon (nickname “Toy Town” they used to manufacture wooden toys) at the end of August 2023. It’s about 45 minutes from family, and between 75 and 90 minutes from the Boston area. That depends on time of day and traffic! I am learning however that it’s pretty standard to be “about 30-45 minutes” from anything in central-western MA. My driving comparisons are to how long I would drive to places in Phoenix. Plus with all of the green and beauty around me, I have no issues driving longer for things.
We are pretty settled in our home. Our neighbors are super sweet, and we only have two other homes on our little hill. We have a smaller home, but almost 2 acres of land, and most of that is grass so we’ve been figuring out how to bring the lawn in more so there is less to mow. I’m learning about native plans and trees. We see deer and coyotes, skunks and rabbits, and many species of birds. There are bears but I have yet to see one in person. I would like to, from inside my house of course!
I never thought I would be all about that small town life, but I am now all about that small town life. We do have grocery stores about 10 minutes away, but we have to go a little further for a Target or Costco. So we just plan our trips accordingly, or order online. It’s not complete isolation though, the next larger town is within 15 minutes, and we have all the amenities needed (vet, doctors, movie theater, local brewery.)
I thought I would feel withdrawals from not seeing my friends and not going to shows every weekend. I don’t. Don’t get me wrong I do miss my friends and family, and I’m slowly beginning to make new friends. However I’m perfectly happy just being a homebody now (I even COOK more!) and when I get an itch I go out to a show and then I’m good for another month or two. I joined the town Cultural Council as a way to meet more people and work on bringing more events to the town. Our daughters have been out to visit, and will be back again in a couple of months. My mother is also coming to visit and I can’t wait to show her my new home. I am hoping that more of my husband’s family will come visit, he hasn’t seen his parents since we left, longer for his sister, other than FaceTime.
There are tons of hiking trails around us, it’s been fun exploring with my husband. He’s thinking of getting a kayak we have a lake not even 10 minutes away. Oh, and did I mention that there are FOUR seasons? Did you know that? I had forgotten. Our first winter was actually fairly mild, we did get snow but the most was under a foot. The previous owners left us their snow blower, but one of our neighbors came by and said they had a plow and when they do their driveway they would plow ours too. So kind! Our hill was a challenge a couple of times from frozen surfaces, but we again prepare when we know we might need to stay home a few days. Grateful to work from home, that’s for sure. My husband, being born and raised in the desert, doesn’t appreciate the cold weather the way I do so we have had some thermostat… discussions.
That being said- I now enjoy summer! There are definitely some muggy and warmer days, but to have that only last maybe a week at most then cool down? You can’t beat it. And you can still go outside without feeling like you may spontaneously combust. I haven’t felt temperatures over 90 degrees in a year!
Physically I feel great. My skin has continued to recover from the harsh dry desert. I only rarely have to take an allergy pill vs. every single day in Phoenix. Being able to have windows open because of cleaner air is nice. Mentally I feel much better as well, it’s nice to not feel forced into silence about things such as politics. Not so much because I have more liberal leanings, but it’s just not as scary to be around those who might have a more conservative leaning as it was in Gilbert. Overall everything is more accepting and inclusive in this state, no matter where your beliefs fall.
The biggest sign that I made a positive change was this past spring. My mom had surgery and I went back to Phoenix to help her for a few weeks. It all happened very suddenly, and though I was absolutely happy to help my mom and see her, I didn’t enjoy going back to Phoenix before I was ready. I had time to see a few friends (and of course my daughters!), and even go to a couple of shows in between caring for Mom. It was great to see everyone, but I also felt a bit of a disconnect as well. I’m not sure how to describe it, but it’s not a bad thing. Do others who have moved out of their hometown feel this when they return? Just a general observation that I did make the right choice in moving.
“You can’t see the full picture when you are in the frame.”
There are more things to write about, but that is more the business-side and I will cover in Part Four!