I'm so happy to be here in North Carolina, even if our things haven't arrived and all I brought with me is a box of cocktail dresses from the closet and a suitcase full of only the most random assortment of clothing. My stand mixer has found its place in our new kitchen, but my books are stuck in several other boxes, just waiting for the shelf to get here so they can get situated.

It's weird, to have "completed the move" but still be living in a hotel room and not know where the closest drug store is. I need some hairspray and I think I accidentally threw away my moisturizer in Minneapolis. But we're here, and tomorrow I drive the short three hours or less to Roanoke to get my hair cut and see some friends.

If I'm a little more absent than usual this week, it's probably because I can't find something that I need. Hopefully by this week, I'll have my desk set up in the new place and things will start to return to normal. Thank you all so much for reading and following along with me and Rob on this journey! I appreciate you more than you know.

Hello from North Carolina! We got in last night and are currently at a hotel until our stuff arrives. The trip was long and we're both pretty exhausted even after a decent night's sleep yesterday, but it's so nice to be back on the east coast and finally in our new city.

Yesterday we got the keys to our new apartment and moved a few of the boxes from our car, which was great. I'm anxious for the rest of our stuff to get here so we can start unpacking! I have quite a bit of work to do and some things to catch up with, but I'm taking today pretty easy. I hope you'll bear with me while we get settled!

How was your weekend?

Today, movers are coming to load up our stuff, and soon after that Rob and I will start the long drive from Minneapolis to Charlotte in our little red SUV.

This move almost feels like it's been a few years in the making--like it started at that Halloween party where we met in 2008, followed us through the rest of college and into graduate school, watched us begin our careers, tackle a long-distance relationship, get engaged, make big moves to be together.

We got to know Minneapolis and fall in love with it; calling it home while simultaneously aching for the familiarity of Virginia and North Carolina. We missed graduations and surprise wedding receptions, but we walked across frozen lakes and ate cheese curds and learned how to not freak out when your car inevitably slides in the snow.

Minnesota is always going to hold a very real, very special place in my heart. It was our home while we planned our wedding, and the first place we lived as a married couple. I was able to take my blog full time in the year that I lived here, and Rob excelled at his job, leaving with a promotion and a lot of great experience. We learned a lot about ourselves, did some adventuring, and grew a lot as people.

The city is fantastic and the friends we've made are wonderful, and as bittersweet as it may be, now it's time to go.

Charlotte, here we come.