Moving to the Seacoast: Our Family’s Transition

“Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing
and rightdoing there is a field.
I’ll meet you there.
When the soul lies down in that grass
the world is too full to talk about.”  -Rumi

I’ve found so much positivity and inspiration when I look back at Rumi’s words. This poem in particular holds a lot of meaning to me as my family and I have just gone through one of the bigger transitions in life: Moving to the Seacoast. My family has felt so warmly welcomed: myself, my husband James, and our two kids, Lyla (4), and James (2). As a mother, I felt like I was walking on egg shells during this transition. I worried about the impact of each and every decision we made on their little lives. The world felt too full to talk about. 

The truth is that they’re amazing and resilient. And more flexible than I gave them credit for! I spent a little too much time in my head. I would have been better served laying in that field of Rumi’s.

Moving to the Seacoast looked a little like this…

• Visit Portsmouth and the surrounding area about 10 times to look for the perfect place to live on the Seacoast and find a local preschool. We let every ounce of normalcy/schedule go. My son had the worst blowout in all of history in his carseat on one of these trips and we had to wash the cover in the hotel bathtub. Can’t make this crap up-literally.
• Get outrageous quotes from 3 separate moving companies then decide I’m superwoman and can do it all myself. I packed EVERY. SINGLE. BOX. I’m also insane, apparently.
• Stressing about housing! One night at 10pm a rental showed up on Zillow and my husband high-tailed up here from Connecticut at 5am the next morning to see it. Boom, it was ours! Not homeless with two children. Check.
• Tell friends and family the news that we’re moving to the Seacoast of New Hampshire. I’m not sure there are words for the part that includes leaving the people you raised your babies with. This was so hard, even though we knew we were making the right decision.
• Tell my clients in Connecticut that I’m leaving and wrap up all final photography sessions. This felt huge because I started my business in Fairfield two years ago and built it from the ground up. Leaving the place where I learned everything and started from was both sad and terrifying. In the end I left feeling so thankful.
• The final weeks of waiting. The what-ifs and the rooms in boxes and the best is yet to come.
• Spend our final days with our best friends and close family reminiscing, laughing, crying, and drinking ALL the wine. Remembering to say THANK YOU to these people who have been a part of our daily lives during some of the best years ever.
• Finally, moving Day!!! Eeeek! I had so much anxiety about driving away from our old house. At one moment when the kids couldn’t see me, my eyes welled with tears, and I had to squeeze my husband’s hand — I couldn’t breathe for a second. But then I’ll never forget the day we pulled up in front of our house in Portsmouth. That feeling of wonder and excitement, and also relaying to the kids that this IS home, we are safe, and in the most wonderful place.

Being new to the Seacoast looks a little like this…

For lunch/dinner we visit the Wrap Shack weekly for fresh fish tacos and fish & chips. So good.

We really love Vernon Family Farm in Newfields. We’ve gone to hold baby chicks and walk the property which is really beautiful. Their farm store is full of local goods as well.

We spend hours on the beach, not only in the summer but all year. The Seacoast beaches are breath taking in my opinion. There is such variety and there is no better playground! 

I’m in love with Barre & Soul.  It’s the perfect combination of a really hard barre workout while also staying mindful and in the moment as you do in yoga. There is a really friendly vibe and the instructors are always on. I love that the studio purposefully has no mirrors so I don’t feel that emphasis “working towards a perfect body”. Instead I feel space to look more inward while also feeling good.

One of our favorite walks is over the Memorial Bridge into Kittery where there are more places and beaches to discover. 

Our visit to the White Mountains was incredible. We camped with our kids and climbed up the Lonesome Lake Trail. James went in a backpack and Lyla, to our surprise, pretty much climbed the whole thing (one word- SNACKS). This is one of our favorite family memories to date.

We moved in July. While our housing situation is temporary in a rental, I couldn’t be more thankful for where we have landed (conveniently located in the West End – we love living in Portsmouth NH). Our location has allowed us to explore the area without having to get in our car and when we do it’s always to be out more in nature which is also not far at all!

Above all else, we have felt so welcomed as we navigate moving to the Seacoast.

A smile or a hello goes a really long way with a new mom in town, and we have received so many. The moment we moved in, our neighbors across the street ran over with a bottle of wine (amazing). We have come across so many people willing to help or chat and we’re just so grateful.

And just one final note for all the moms out there that question themselves, worry about their kids, have frequent feelings of guilt…You are more than enough. Take heart in the small moments. One time someone told me we only have enough energy for one day at a time. So for that day shed light on those around you and it will come right back to you. I hope to see you all around 