The Tough Decision (or was it?)

As many of you may know, we were not very happy in Utah.  Things were good at first and it was fun to live in a different location and explore new things; however, soon Jeff and I started to feel like we were not meant to live in the west.  Utah was not the best to us...in three years it seemed we had nothing but bad luck.  Jeff broke his hip, we never sold the house in Georgia and we missed family.  Plus, my job was getting too stressful and I was starting to burn out.  There were days when Jeff didn't know if he would be picking Dr. Jeckyll or Mr. Hyde (or their female equivalent) from work.  It was about that time that I started really looking for another job.  Although the easy thing to do would have been to find another toxicologist position in Utah, there really weren't any options for me out west.  Then, as I approached the three year mark with the state, companies started calling me.  It was amazing.  I went on numerous interviews but nothing really panned out.  I was starting to get more and more frustrated thinking that I was stuck in the state...and then SciMetrika called. 

SciMetrika is a private public health company which performs work for the federal government, mostly EPA and CDC.  I was intrigued by the thought of still working in the field of public health, only for a private company rather than the state government.  After flying out to North Carolina to meet with them (they had already offered me a position, on my 32nd birthday no less), Jeff and I decided that this would be a great next step for us.  So we decided to take the plunge and leave Utah to return to the south.

Resigning from the state was hard; I had made a lot of good friends and felt really comfortable in my position...but I wasn't happy any more.  I didn't feel like I was reaching my full potential.  It was time for a change.

We were hoping to put off the move until early December, but after looking at the calendar and watching the trip to Ireland get closer and closer, we decided we needed to push up the move date...like by a month.  We then started the process known as "downsizing"...you know, trying to rid yourselves of all the things you have dragged with you through various moves.  We were leaving a 3500 square foot house and moving into a 1300 square foot apartment; let's face it, downsizing (and lots of it) was necessary.  It was a stressful and crazy month, but with the help of a few special people (and you all know who you are), we managed to get everything packed up and ready to go. 

We left on Thursday, November 4 and drove from Salt Lake to Lincoln, Nebraska, which was painful as the moving truck maxed out at about 67 mph.  But, we made it without incident and got up the next day and drove to Knoxville, Tennessee.  On Saturday around noon, we were pulling up to our new home at Alexan Garrett Farms in Durham.  I wish we could have enjoyed it and relaxed a little bit, but we had to move all the furniture and boxes into the apartment because Jeff was headed back to Utah at 6:00 am on Sunday morning.  Talk about a whirlwind...not to mention, I had the worst head cold I have ever had.  I was just so run down from the packing and non-stop driving and stress of starting a new job that I thought I was going to die.  But, I took Sunday and rested to get ready for my first big day in the office on Monday morning!

So, now that we have settled in and are back together again (Jeff drove back to NC about a week and a half after the dogs and I moved in), things are going great.  Jeff is really close to getting a job (he has a second interview next Tuesday) and I am learning so much at my job and really enjoying it.  So much less stressful and I actually enjoy getting up in the morning and going to work.  I think this is going to be a really positive move for us.  Yes, it was difficult to pick up and move again (especially across the country), and yes, we left another house on the market in Salt Lake, but overall, I am happier than I have been in a really long time. 

But, our time in Utah was not wasted...we met some amazing friends (who we will always stay in contact with), did and saw some of the most spectacular sights in the west (i.e., hiked, played in the snow, drove through the mountains, saw antelope, buffalo and wolves and traveled).  Thanks for all the memories, Utah!

Whirlwind

I am sorry for the lack of blogs lately...it hasn't been that we have nothing to blog about.  Actually, just the opposite- a cross country move, a new apartment, a gorgeous vacation in Ireland, a new job, plus the holidays quickly approaching.  I promise that I will get the energy to write everything down soon.  Just might take a little time.

Keep checking back for new postings soon!