It's time.

I can now share with the world our big, rash, scary, and financially unsound decision to move to Winchester. It was really a knee-jerk reaction to the intense dread and misery we felt the other week when my parents had gone to Florida for a week but we knew they were coming back. The last two days of our alone time were in fact ruined by the realization that very shortly they will be back and we will be stuck again.

Why Winchester, you ask? Well we really don't have any good reasons. My sister moved to Winchester in the fall and driving through the down town it reminded me of Staunton, which felt kind of cozy. My co-workers all live in West Virginia and drive through Winchester on the way to work and have been trying to get our office to move there. We will see how long that takes but they are still pursuing it, especially if all of us live out there and my other co-worker may have to leave or work from home due to her blood pressure (from the two hour drive).

Mostly it is just because it looks more like home, with the mountains and the architecture, and we can afford it. Your dollar goes a long way in Winchester which is greatly appreciated. However it also has the highest unemployment rate in the state and is filled with rednecks and mexi-thugs. We would only be three blocks from the downtown mall, in the historic section and best of all...we would be alone.

But this is alone to an extent neither of us have ever been before. Aside from my sister (who's husband wants them to move to Ohio) we have no family, no friends, and no realy interest/draw to that area. We would be situated at a near half way point between our families which makes Carol very excited.

My parents were not exactly excited. In fact the exact words were, "I don't think this is a good idea, I don't want you to go." Then I got yelled at by my sister for being in Winchester to look at houses and not coming to see her. But somehow after 5 minutes of concern and disapproval...they gave up. They simply stopped complaining, said their peace, smiled and went about their days. I told them we weren't moving until May and they said that was better and that was all.

We are still scared at the newness, change, and potential failure of this situation as well as the potential for complete misery in Winchester. But we have decided, with absolute certainty, we cannot continue to stay with my parents, and we won't be able to find a nicer place that we can afford anywhere closer. So here's hoping we don't fall flat on our faces, don't hate it, and my job actually does move to Winchester so I don't have to drive an hour every day to and from work for as long as I continue to work there.