Recently Asked Questions
February 16, 2009Didn't you, like, just move?
Actually we moved three years ago. And you call yourself a faithful reader? You sicken me.
Didn't you say you liked New Jersey?
Sure, there's plenty to like here. We just like it better in Brooklyn.
Why did you move in the first place, stupid?
I do believe you answered your own question.
No, really.
Why did we move? It's all a blur. We were young and foolish. Our parents asked us when we were going to grow up and get a real place to live. Our friends moved out here and loved it. We thought we wanted a yard. We believed that house ownership would be intrinsically rewarding. We thought it wasn't too far from our friends and family. We were sure our other friends would follow our move.
And now you're moving back. Tell us more.
About a year ago, Scott told me he wanted to move back to Brooklyn. I actually fought him on it. I was all, "But the space! And the, uh, space! And Henry has space! And did I mention the space? So much space. Spaaaaace." We squabbled for about fifteen minutes, and then I came to my senses.
We miss our friends. Our family members are either in Brooklyn or much closer to Brooklyn than New Jersey. I loathe having to get into a car to do anything. Scott hates our damn yard. And we both think home ownership is highly overrated. We'd much rather spend our weekends going to the park or museums or flea markets or ANYTHING than spend our time tending to a house. We miss looking out the window and figuring out the weather based on what people are wearing. We miss take-out. We miss feeling like we're home.
How does Henry feel about the move?
It's hard to say. If you ask him, he will claim to be thrilled, but I think it's more complicated than that.
The other day he told me, "If you think I'm sad at all about moving, you just blow that thought out of your mind." I do think he's a little sad, though. Sad but excited.
I live in a big city. Should I never move to the suburbs because you didn't like it?
Yes. You should also like purple, because it's my favorite color. Also, Earl Grey tea is your new favorite. Write that down.
We have many friends out here who love it, who can't imagine going back to the city. These people are smart and hilarious and trustworthy. We have other friends who can't imagine living anywhere but in a city. I think it's safe to say we fall into the latter camp. We just had to leave the city to figure that out.
And we're going back, in eight days. Excuse me while I jump up and down for a few minutes.
Reader Comments (242)
And if I haven't commented before, hello!
Now we are planning to adopt a child of a different race and I feel so much more comfortable with that decision knowing that we're staying in this vibrant, diverse area.
Best of luck with the move. It feels awfully good to be home.
Last week she was totally burnt out by the bushfires. I went out and saw the place and it was complete and utter devastation. (But the dishes in the dishwasher were still fine. Amazing.) Anyway, she's still planning on rebuilding.
You've just got to live where you're happy. Life's too short.
Congrats on figuring out what's best for you and your family - hope the move goes smoothly and that breakage is at a minimum.
If that means our future kids will have to live under the kitchen table and visit tufts of grass in museums, so be it.
All this to say that moving to Jersey wasn't a mistake. You made what you thought was a good decision for your family. Now you've made another. And I'm sure you'll have more surprises down the road. But for now, welcome home. Mazel tov! (Remember Yiddish?)
Since we can't agree on ice cream, I'm pretty sure it's a MIRACLE we agreed on where to live. Which makes me a little more than certain that it's a miracle for you guys too =) Enjoy it back in Brooklyn!