Seven years in the making, and I’m officially a resident of New Jersey, living in Jersey City.

It was my first trip to the East Coast that set my imagination afire. My plane descended through the clouds as I was about to land in Newark, and there I saw it: the massive Northeast megalopolis encompassing Manhattan, Brooklyn, and what I would come to know in the future as Jersey City.

Even during my first walk at The Battery, looking across the Hudson River and wondering, “What is that other big city right across the water?”

Little did I know that seven years down the road, I would be living in that city, known as Jersey City, or Chilltown, as they say.

One Month From Start to Finish

We received news at the beginning of May that Barrett had been accepted for a transfer to Bayonne, NJ, all while I was in Atlantic City for marketing work.

So, I immediately went to planning.

Endless, countless hours sitting at my desk, orchestrating the next few weeks of life like a game of chess, ready to move everything of ours from one end of the country to the other, over two thousand miles away.

We sold or donated almost all of our belongings, deciding to repurchase and gather new furniture upon arrival instead of investing thousands of dollars in a cross-country U-Haul rental. The next biggest hurdle to overcome was finding a place to live in New Jersey. After pinpointing the area we liked, near Liberty State Park, we sent off a few apartment interest requests.

We were pleasantly surprised to be approved for our #1 pick.

In mid-May, I made a quick solo trip from California to Jersey City to pick up our new apartment keys and set up internet and utilities. Then, I returned to California to close down shop in Sacramento and drive our car back to the East Coast.

Jersey City Is Now Home

Now, as I sit back and reflect on the past month, I realize how much it’s been a tremendous blur.

The five-day drive feels like a fever dream: the endless hotel nights, the endless hours on the road, and the endless fluff from Turtle Dove flying around the confined space of our Ford Escape stuffed with our only earthly possessions.

But, in the end, it was worth it.

It was all worth it because now, Liberty State Park is where we get to take daily walks, explore the miles along the Hudson River Waterfront Walkway, take weekend jaunts into New York City, and experience a new area of the country and people that keep me feeling alive, energized, and excited for what’s to be offered from each new day.

I look forward to tomorrow, even as temperatures plummet during winter, unfolding Jersey’s more tempestuous side—taking all in stride as someone welcoming this new chapter from Jersey City.