Goodbye Loudoun. Hello Frederick.

I think I might actually cry when that moving truck leaves Loudoun County and enters Frederick County (ok, Clark County first then Frederick but you get the idea).

I mean seriously. In 14 days I will no longer live in Loudoun County. I’ve lived here my ENTIRE life. 27 years. I’m a Virginia native. I am a rare commodity here. Not a transplant. People look at me funny when I tell them I’m from here. I love being from here. I love being a “native.” Everything is here. My friends. My family. My childhood. My youth. My adulthood. My engagement. My wedding (ok, so that was technically Alexandria but you get the idea). The beginning of my future. My entire existence has always been in Loudoun County. It is my home. This is where I was going to raise my kids. Right here in Loudoun County. And I was perfectly ok with that. Hell, I would have been perfectly ok living out my entire life in the same county. Not that I think Steven would have enjoyed that, but he is letting me take him further from the city and closer to the middle of nowhere. (Though, for the record, he wanted to move to West Virginia but yeah I’m not ready to leave this state…).

How am I supposed to do this? How am I supposed to leave?

I mean, I have to. No question. And part of me is really, really excited to move. There’s a house in Frederick that’s going to be all ours. Our first home. It will be the home my children are born into. The place where we make lasting memories of our young family. (and, for the record, we’re not pregnant or trying to be pregnant at this time so I don’t need any “are you pregnant” questions thrown at me. ::coughEmilycough::) It will be our home. Frederick County will be our new home.

But this is my home. Loudoun. When I was growing up my dream was to get away. Far, far away. As soon as possible. College was my first chance and I knew I was going to jump on the first plane out of here. That’s right. Plane. I was leaving and going far away. And then my Senior year happened. And it got really, really close to having to actually choose someplace to go and leave. Yeah. I caved and totally decided that I loved this place and didn’t need to leave. There were other reasons, but I got scared and decided that I didn’t want to leave anymore. I wasn’t ready. Maybe one day, but not then.

Then life happened. I got a good job here. I had found the man I was going to marry here. I was planning a wedding here. And for a future here. At one point we had planned on moving to North Carolina, but that didn’t work out. We started looking for houses and landed in Winchester. I never thought I’d actually but this house when we went to see it. I mean, Winchester, it’s far. And apparently not as far as I once thought. I walked into that model and I could see it. My future. In this neighborhood. In this house. And I got really excited. I wanted it. And we talked about it and made our decision. We’d have one. It was so much fun. Picking out all the floors, cabinets, appliances, etc. Everything would be hand picked by us. It would be our home. Construction started and we spent every weekend in Winchester checking out our house. It has been amazing to watch our house being built. To see the progress week to week. To be there every step of the way. To share this amazing adventure with our friends and family. It’s been awesome.

And here we are today. 2 weeks from today we will be moving into our new home.

I’m excited and scared about this move all that the same time. I constantly feel like I’m going to throw up from fear while I’m doing a happy dance because we are moving into OUR own home. We’ll have our own space again, and while I love my inlaws for putting up with us for the last year and a half and helping us out immensely I am so ready to get out of their house and into our own. But I know there will be tears on moving day. And there will be more after that. When I change my license and my city isn’t in Loudoun. When I register my cars in Frederick. When I get my first tax bill from Frederick (ok, for that I will cheer because it’s so much cheaper to live there than Loudoun. Suckers!).

When I officially make the switch from a Loudoun County resident to a Frederick County resident there will be tears. Both of joy and sadness. And heck, while I’m at it I might as well officially become Mrs. Ross on everything too (since there are still a few things that come to my maiden name…whatever, I’m slow).

This is good for us. For me. For our future. And for our present. We’re moving. Starting our own life in a new place. Together. Just the 3 of us (Buddy makes 3, FYI.)And I couldn’t be happier. I am really excited to start this new journey in life. Starting over. In a new place. I can’t believe I’m actually doing it. But I am. And I can. And I will. And I’ll be ok.