Our Move To Nashville

As you may know, we recently moved to Nashville….finally. We listed our house several months ago and waited. And waited. And waited.

It was fun.

Or not.

But finally, our house in Missouri sold, and we packed up our things with the help of Man with a Van and moved to Tennessee. It’s been about about a week since we moved, and I’ve learned a lot throughout this process…

Your adventure won’t make sense to everyone else (and that’s okay)

To be honest, we really didn’t have to move to Nashville. Most of our family is in Missouri. My wife and I have lived there our entire lives. There’s no obvious reason we needed to move.

Because of that, I’ve had some funny conversations with people since we got to town…

So did you take a job out here in Nashville?

Nope.

So you must have family out here?

Nope.

So you just came out here for the heck of it?

Kinda.

(insert puzzled look)

There is definitely lots of potential for growth and connections for my business by being in Nashville, but we also have always viewed it as an adventure. We didn’t throw a dart at a map and decide Nashville was the winner, but to some, our reasoning may as well have been that.

It’s okay if not everyone understands or agrees with your adventure. Sometimes they think they’re just looking out for you. Other times they’re upset with themselves for not taking their own adventure.

But whatever your reason for taking an adventure may be…embrace it. Own it. Live the adventure on your terms and not to make someone else happy.

Adventures can be hard (and expensive) but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take them

Moving to Tennessee has cost literally hundreds of hours and tens of thousands of dollars. In fact, when you factor in closing costs, realtor commissions and all the random moving expenses you never think about, I estimate the move cost us between $40k-$50k.

That’s a lot of money.

In fact, it’s so much that most of us would look at it and immediately dismiss the entire idea.

Why would you spend that kind of money just to move?!? That’s insane.

My wife and I have spent countless hours packing boxes, canceling services/utilities, changing addresses with everyone and everything, setting up new utilities, loading and driving trucks, figuring out silly logistical details, opening new bank accounts, trying not to get lost in our new city, unpacking boxes and try to maintain some sense of normalcy for our family.

So again Grant, I ask…why would you do all that?

At the risk of sounding snarky, I’d reply with…

Why not?

Yeah, it has cost a lot of money and time, but that’s not a good reason just to stay home. Marriage counseling costs a lot of money and time, but it’s better than just throwing in the towel. Car repairs cost money and time, but it’s better than having the car fall apart on you.

What if this move was the greatest thing that’s ever happened to our family and our business? Would it be worth it then?

Adventure forces you outside of your comfort zone

When you live in the same place for your entire life (or any extended period of time), it’s easy to settle into a rut. You go to the same restaurants. Drive the same roads. And go to the same stores.

It’s easy to get stuck.

I remember a few years ago some friends moved to our city and for the first several months, they were constantly going out and taking in what the city had to offer. They told us about some of the restaurants they tried, shows they went to, and museums they checked out, and I remember thinking, I’ve lived here my entire life and haven’t been to most of those places.

But when you move to a new place, you’re forced to find new places. Don’t get me wrong, I love Chipotle and Chick-Fil-A as much as anyone, but I also want to try new restaurants, visit new places, and explore beyond just the usual spots.

There’s nothing wrong with routines. I actually prefer routines. But I also know the value in putting myself in situations outside of my comfort zone to help me grow as a person.

You don’t know unless you try

I often view life as an experiment. If you try something and it works, great. But if it blows up in your face, that’s okay too. It’s just an experiment.

Moving our family is a bit of an experiment. It could be a huge success or it could be a colossal failure. But I know this…we won’t know either way unless we try.

Now don’t get me wrong, I expect that this move has a greater potential upside than downside or we wouldn’t have done it in the first place, but I’m also not naive enough to think it will go perfect. There will be days we miss Missouri. There will be days we wish family was closer. There will be days that our kids miss their old house.

But there’s also an opportunity for us to experience a whole new way of life we wouldn’t have known before if we had just stayed put.

You may try starting a business and it fails. Maybe you venture into a new relationship and it doesn’t work out. Perhaps you’ll take a risk and it doesn’t go according to plan. Those things will happen.

But what if you try and it works?

Maybe it was the best possible thing that could have happened in your life. But you don’t know unless you try.

BONUS: I had my wife read over this post, and I asked her if there was anything else she had learned so far. Her reply (and I quote): “I learned I can drive a UHaul like a bad mamba jamba.” 🙂