GOODBYE BROOKLYN...WE LOVE YOU

Gabe wrote that title and nothing else, I thought I better expound on that thought.

After 5 1/2 years we have decided to pack up and leave the city for greener pastures (literally greener- not better:) and move to Asheville, NC. We will now be 2 hours away from family and living a simpler life in the mountains.

This all came about with the decision that I wanted to stay at home with Finn full time. It was beyond hard for me to go back to work in March and leave my girl every day, all day! Gabe had quit Harper Collins in order to be a full time daddio and try his hand at free-lance editing. He was and is AMAZING at both...and succeeded in both ventures. If it wasn't for him I could have never left for work on a daily basis. But work was long and hard...

I always gave my 100% at work and really felt that once I couldn't do that anymore I probably shouldn't be there. Two weeks after returning from maternity leave I was promoted to an HR manager and given some of my own client groups...this was a dream job for me. It took lots out of me and I was running out the door on time in order to see Finn for an hour before she went down for the night. I left my team working every day and that started wearing on me, I also only got to see Finn for an hour in the evening and that started wearing on me. Thus the decision to leave before it affected my work/reputation at L'Oreal and before I missed too much of my girl's first year of life.

This decision was HARD...VERY HARD. Leaving my career was one thing, but knowing that leaving would most likely mean leaving NY too was emotional. We could have done NY for life...but financially it didn't make sense. Thankfully Gabe's freelancing has gone fantastic (and he is amazing at it and loves it) so we thought let's move somewhere afforadable and see what happens. Perhaps I can stay at home and Gabe can freelance? Time will tell bc we just took the leap!

We are here in Asheville now...settling into our 2 bed/2bath apartment for half the price. For us the savings is great, but we better meet some amazing people bc those we left behind grew to be family and a good savings won't be enough for us:)

And so the next chapter begins. Here are some pictures of our Brooklyn Bridge going away party! It was truly a perfect night with friends. Don't thinnk captions are needed for these....