March 2018
Never say never! I say that because never did I think I would leave Miami. Miami is home. It's where I was born and where my family and friends are. It's where all my favorite food places are and where the beach is. It's where I had to take the metro-rail and bus transfers to get to High School and experience true Stranger Things. So many memories and heartbreak was experienced in Miami, but also where I met my husband and where we had both our kids.
We could no longer afford Miami. My husband and I were living in an efficiency in Little Havana, paying $850/month on rent. My husband worked to pay the bills, so that I can stay at home and raise our children. Sure, I was blessed to start a part time job, where I can work from home, but it basically covered my student loan and bills. Things needed to change and this was one thing, Miami wasn't going to provide.
A friend of mine, from Middle School, was living in Huntsville, Alabama and heard about our quest in getting out. She invited us to stay with her and see if we would consider it. We came to visit for a week in August of 2017 and we fell in love with Huntsville. Between the beauty of the mountains, the views, the peacefulness the slower pace of living, how family friendly it is and the affordability of it all- we were sold. So much so, that six months later, I found a job transfer for my husband and even found us a cute apartment in Madison.
We could not believe that a two bedroom/two bath apartment with washer and dryer was going to be $867! No longer would I need to take my kids to the Miley's Place Laundromat in Calle Ocho, to do our laundry. No longer would we have to share a room between the four of us. We could finally live comfortably. But that came with a cost too. No longer could I just pick up and go visit family and friends. No longer, would we know, that we would loose some of our family members and not have been able to spend more time with them. No longer would we be a part of family dinners, holidays and birthdays. It was a bittersweet decision, but one we knew that we were doing for our family.
After 17 hours of driving with a Uhaul and rental car, we made it to Huntsville, Alabama. Our new place to call home. A place where we can make new friends, find new favorite food places and create new memories.
Esto Si Que Es Vida