Small Town Living In Michigan: Life After The Move

Almost a month ago, we left our home in Arizona and made the cross country move to Michigan. You can’t really appreciate how difficult that 2,000 mile, 30 plus hour, 4 day, 5 night drive was. I was stuck driving a car with 3 kids while my husband drove the moving truck. Crying, fighting, yelling, puking…I hated every minute of it. By the 2nd day my youngest would fight me to the death to avoid being strapped in his car seat. I truly wanted to pack my children on the top of the car like luggage just to get some much needed mental relief.

Our misery didn’t last forever (even though it felt like it). We made it safely to our destination and have been adjusting to small town living in our new home. Our introduction to Michigan started off very rainy, cloudy and chilly. My 4-year-old said we should have never left Arizona because it was too rainy here. I forgot what Spring can be like in the Midwest. But the weather cleared up and we finally got to enjoy our new property. The kids love the big yard. And riding their bikes in the street is their absolute favorite thing (we have no sidewalks here). Of course, I’m always on the lookout for cars, though very few come by.

I’ve noticed since living here how friendly everyone is. People wave and say hi. A neighbor came out to introduce himself and (his two dogs) one day when the kids were playing. Another neighbor greeted me enthusiastically on my first walk around the neighborhood with a “You must be the new neighbors!” She told me all about herself, her children, how great the schools were. She even invited us to come play on her trampoline anytime. “Just come on back! The gate is usually unlocked.” “How nice,” I thought to myself. “Is this Mayberry?”

The grocery store clerk on my first store visit engaged me in a full blown conversation and gave me a “see ya next time!” as I was leaving. I’m usually lucky to get eye contact and a mumbled hello from my cashiers. This small town friendliness is really new to me. I don’t know how to handle it, but yet I like it. I’m torn between “leave me alone, I’m an introvert!” to feeling a sense of community and enjoying the “welcome.”

I’m honestly pleasantly surprised and I hope I continue to feel this comfortable. Being a mixed race family has it’s own burdens and you never know what kind of reception you will receive. Especially in a town with a small population and little diversity. I’ve literally seen two people of color and that was on my first day here. In a neighboring town. That was it. But so far, I feel very comfortable living with my family here and that’s all I can ask for.

We’ve also found a new park to enjoy that the kids really like. One of the moms came over and asked me to take a picture for her and volunteered to take a picture of me and my kids. Did I mention people are really friendly and will talk to you in a heartbeat here? I look forward to exploring the many beautiful parks in this area.

I love our neighborhood. I love the space between the homes. The lush trees, the green grass (hey, I lived in the desert for 2 years). Instead of busy streets and houses and subdivisions stacked on each other, I drive on a few unpaved roads and pass by farmland, lakes and a barn or two as I go from “country” to the city.

My husband is 20 minutes from his job and doesn’t have to take a highway to get to work. He tells me there is usually only a car or two on the road with him in the mornings. A slower slice of life. We picked the perfect spot to call home and raise a family.

Overall, I think the transition has gone really well. I’m anticipating a summer of getting to know the area and going to local events. I just signed my oldest son up for preschool (nope, not gonna cry) and my daughter will be transitioning from homeschooling back to public schools in the Fall (hallelujah!). The stability of waking up everyday and knowing that this is the place where my kids will grow up, graduate and call home for years to come feels wonderful! Forgive me for my temporary sappiness but if you don’t know, we’ve been moving a lot lately.

We’re even talking about raising some chickens for the eggs and to help with the ticks (one of the few negative introductions to country living in Michigan so far). And I’m hoping to grow a garden again without killing it. We are fully embracing this new way of life. I look forward to all the new memories we will make as we put down roots in this town. Putting down roots. I like the sound of that!

Featured Image credit: Gavin Clabaugh