Fun fact: Yankee Doodle Dandy is the state song of Connecticut.

Come Thursday, we’ll have been residents of coastal Connecticut for four months. A third of a year! The time has gone by a lot more quickly than I thought it would, but I guess that’s how things usually go. We’ve settled in pretty well, I’ll say. Looking back, it’s almost hard to believe how much I hated the idea of the move.

Tobias warmed up to our new town quicker than anyone could have guessed. His first day coming home on the school bus, (after calling for him through the doors, “Tobias! It’s your stop!”) a boy that had just gotten off said, “Tobias, this is your stop, too?!” I soon learned the two boys, who are in the same class, had bonded in the bus line over their love of all things science and their passion for making art. In world full of hockey-loving, football-watching, soccer-kicking, all-thing-sports boys, it’s great that Tobias was able to quickly meet a boy that shared his interests–who lives down the street!

One of my favorite things about the new house, other than the backyard and the wildlife I spot in it, is the 5+ acres of open space that we have to explore down our street. An off-the-leash area, it’s Laser’s very favorite thing and right up there in Tobias’ list. On my runs, I’ve stumbled upon other open space areas that vary in topography and size, and it’s been such a pleasure hiking through and exploring. Between the nearby beaches and these open areas, my nature-loving hippie side is satiated.

There’s more great things in store for our little corner of coastal Connecticut. This past Sunday, a Michael’s craft store opened it’s doors that is in walking distance to our house. I can see its sign lit up at night from my 2nd story window–it’s that close. Within weeks, a vegetarian restaurant/juice bar is opening nearby, and across the street, a health food market is being built. All in under a 5-10 minute walk! My favorite things!

One of the things I was most worried about when moving here, was not being able to meet people and that strangers would have the hardness about them that NYC is known for. I had believed, all these years, that Southern Hospitality meant that people up north lacked the kindness and considerateness I took for granted.  Boy, was I wrong.

Now, it’s different in the city. In fact, the closer you get to the city, the more often you’ll come across someone who’s…well, snobby. But all-in-all, I’ve had more conversations with friendly strangers in the grocery line and the like than ever, and I’m slowly but surely finding out how to make friends in a new town.

I knew going in to the move that the worst thing would be Mark’s commute. And it has taken some getting used to for the whole family. The good thing is, we’re really carving out for quality time more than quantity. And, as spring nears and things warm up, we’re getting back into our triathlon training with better scenery than ever.

All in all, it’s been a great experience. Do I miss my family, and the friends I’ve had for over a decade? Of course. But, despite my sadness upon learning of the move, I always knew that this would be an experience worth having: the kind of out-of-my-comfort-zone, scary-as-hell, learning adventure that I’m made for.