We’ll miss Minneapolis, but we’re excited to be baaaaack!
We lived in Madison from June 2001 to July 2017, in the Spring Harbor neighborhood. It was during this time that our kids were born, we bought our first house, we got our first dog (and then our second), and I started my company. We have extremely fond memories of Madison, notwithstanding our decision to leave in 2017.
The Friday prior to the move, I took a vacation day and we finished packing up the last items we had remaining. We had already taken 2 other trips from Minneapolis to Madison, delivering some furniture to family and bringing down things we’d need in the RV. So for the final week we only had the bare essentials. On Friday we spent a lot of time cleaning, not because it was particularly dirty but we really wanted the house to be just right for the new owners.
On the morning of the move we brought the last items, and then the dogs, out to the truck and drove away.
I know it was the end of a chapter and I should feel a bit sad or at least nostalgic, but all I felt was excited. The house had been a good place for our family, but it had never quite resonated with me. I was looking forward to shedding the responsibilities that came with ownership and ready for the adventures ahead.
Now that we have spend just a few days back in Madison, it feels so much like home that I wonder how we ever found the courage to leave. It has been wonderful connecting with friends again and seeing familiar places that we loved. We’re lucky we get to spend another summer in such a beloved place.