Stephen and I moved to Yuma to be with my son, daughter-in-law and grand kids. We got here just in time for COVID to hit. This was not a good time. We could barely see the kids because everyone was so scared of infection and immune systems. Shortly after COVID ended my kids left Yuma and moved cross country. We wanted to go as well because we now have no ties to Yuma.
While the kids were still here just after COVID we were kicked out of our cool apartment, which was small but had an awesome layout. The owner wanted the condo back. We had to find a new place pronto we didn’t really get to choose and ended up in a very small apartment with all our cats. We sold a 3-bedroom house with a garage to be here, so a lot of our stuff had to go in storage. We’ve been throwing stuff away since we got here.
Not too long after we got to the apartment, the kids moved away so my son could find a better job. I swore we would follow them straight away. So, I packed the house back up which wasn’t even unpacked completely from the move in the first place. This June we will have been in this apartment for 3 years.
My husband and I had a really intense talk this past week about everything that’s been going on. I laid out all my problems – being so far from my family, feeling stuck in our small apartment, and the fact that we’re not any closer to buying a house. He responded with his own points, reminding me he’s moved across the country for me three times, that he wants to focus on his career for a while, and that he’s tired of plans that always seem to fall apart. We both had valid points.
So, what happened was that the Monday after the “discussion,” we decided to begin looking for a larger apartment to tide us over until we can make a formal, long-term, forever type of move. We ended up looking at one house instead of an apartment and signed the lease on it the next day. It has 3 bedrooms and a garage like our old house in Fargo and has a lot more room for home offices and cats.
We’re renting, not buying, for now. This means we can finally unpack and settle in properly for a while. Stephen’s going to focus on getting some new certifications, and then we can think about moving and buying again. My son’s even offered us a place on a joint property he may buy down the line, which I’d love to do. But for now, this rental feels right. Plus, my daughter’s heading to the Grand Canyon in June, so maybe we can meet her there. It’s a weird mix of good and bad, a win and a loss, but this move feels like the best compromise for our marriage and my sanity right now.
