I’ve mentioned a few times on my blog that I’ve been saving for a new, as-yet-unnamed goal, now that my travel fund is filled, (and is now in the process of being emptied.) I didn’t want to blog about it right away, but the time has finally come for me to reveal what this savings goal is.
I’m saving up for a moving fund.
Because I’m moving.
To Halifax.
*cue crickets for everyone who doesn’t know where that is*.
This might seem like it’s out of the blue, but the truth is, it’s been a long time coming. My husband and I lived in Halifax for four years (him for six) while we went to school, and moving home had always been the plan after school, so when the time came, we didn’t think, we just did it.
What I didn’t realize at the time, was how much living in the city had changed me, and shaped who I was. I found it really hard to adjust to being back in my hometown. I missed the city, the proximity of everything, the variety, and the excitement. I assumed these feelings would fade away, but they never really did. Three years later, I still miss the city horribly, and my husband does too. I don’t think I’m cut out to be a country-dweller.
We’re also moving because we both know that small town living isn’t going to meet our needs over the long term. Living in Halifax, on the other hand, is a great alternative. There are a lot of aspects to Halifax that we really like: It’s close enough to home that we can visit often on the weekends, it’s small enough that the housing prices are actually within our range, and it has a strong community vibe. It’s a dense, urban, walkable city, which is important to me, but it’s also big enough to support a decent job market for both of us (a nice bonus). It really just fits the bill in terms of where we’d both like to settle long term, plus we’ve already lived there, so we have that connection as well.
Moving Forward to New Adventures
I broke the news to my employer a few months ago, and they’ve been kind enough to let me continue working for them, remotely. There’s another employee at the company who also works remotely, so there are already protocols in place for that sort of arrangement. I’ll be able to travel back and forth whenever I’m needed very easily, and I have lots of experience working remotely, so I have no issues with things like productivity or getting work done on time.
My husband, on the other hand, is actually going back to school for some retraining. He’ll work for a few months until the semester starts, and then we’ll be down to a one-income household for about 18 months. It’ll be a stretch, but it’ll be worth it because the resulting skills will increase his earning potential.
The plan is to move after the new year. My husband’s business season goes until the end of the year anyway, plus we have our trip to Paris in December and then there are the holidays… so we’re going to wait until January. It just makes the most sense.
So that’s my big news! I’ve had this on my mind for a long time, and we made the decision to go awhile ago, but I didn’t want to blog about it until everyone in my circle knew. I hope you understand! I’m so, so excited to get back to my favourite city, but I’m also sad to be leaving family, although I’ll still see them plenty. I’m also a little nervous, because it’ll be the first time living away from home as an adult, without the safety net of family or a hefty student loan.
So what now?
Well, the current plan is to save for the move. I’m thinking I’ll need first month’s rent and a damage deposit to start, plus I’d like $1,000 in slush money to cover the time it takes my husband to find new work. Altogether I’m looking the two of us jointly saving $3,200 between now and Christmas. I’ve already got about $800 saved from redirecting my travel fund money. I’m on track to reach this goal by the end of December.
So that’s what I’ve been secretly saving for these past few months, that’s my news!
When was the last time you picked up your roots and moved? I want to know!