I wrote this post a little over a year ago listing out the 5 things I was scared of and the 5 things I was excited about when it came to our move to the east coast.  I can’t believe it’s been a year since we were unloading the moving truck and shopping for a brand new couch.

I can’t believe I was afraid of driving, finding new favorite places and adjusting to apartment life.  Those have been highlights for me.  Instead there are a few things that I didn’t really consider before.

Things I didn’t think would bug me, but they do:

Flight prices.  This only seems to be an issue for flights to Minnesota.  They are never cheap.

Our geographical location within our time zone.  Because we are on the eastern side of our time zone, our sunsets are so much earlier than what we were used to in Minnesota.  I hadn’t really thought about that.

Having tenants.  Just knowing that someone else is living in a house that I pay for makes me nuts.

Helicopters.  All day they circle around the island of Manhattan.  I’m getting better at tuning them out, but it isn’t easy.

The lack of a few Midwest specialities.  First and foremost, a good bloody mary.  I’ve tried and tried but have been unsuccessful.  Also, pull tabs.  I throwing $20 into the pot and getting pull tabs for the table.  I will tell you though that Steph made my day when she said she was going to make a Tater Tot Hot Dish.

Things I didn’t know I would love:

Seasons.  It’s like I’ve never experienced Spring & Fall before.  In Minnesota, those seasons are short and unpredictable – it snowed tons last week when I was back in MN for work.  On the coast, these seasons last 3 months and they are wonderful.

Delivery options.  I can have everything delivered right to my building, and I mean everything.

The People.  There is a bad reputation for people on the east coast where I come from.  So what if people swear a little more here?  I love the honesty, the passion, the energy and the heart of the people we have met.  I love a good Jersey accent.  I also love how many people have stories like us – they come from somewhere else to start an adventure.

Bagels.  I didn’t understand how a bagel could be that much different, but it is – and it’s so much better.  That is also the case for pizza, seafood and donuts.

Apartment living.  I adore our little 800 sq ft and after being here, I know I could live in any size place with my little family.  We have so much less stuff to deal with, less cleaning to keep up with and if something breaks, someone comes to fix it.

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It has been an amazing year and we can’t wait to experience another holiday season here.  We have gotten the best advice along the way and we have an amazing support system back in the motherland.  We have made some great friends here that won’t be able to get rid of us no matter where we are living.
So tell me, what surprised you about the place you live?  Do you love something about it you didn’t know you would?