A Big Change At Home.

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Those who know me know that I live with my family. Our household has gone through both good and bad changes over the last two decades. When we moved in, my sister and brother-in-law already had two kids, and they had two more several years later (the 21-year-old is the topic of this post). Sadly, we’ve also lost our parents (Daddy in 2013 and Mommy in 2021). Welp, we just went through another big change in the household. Fortunately, it’s nothing like losing our parents, but someone spreading their wings. My 21-year-old niece has been with her boyfriend for several years, and he’s a good guy. He lives in Florida, but they’ve met multiple times, and she’d stay for weeks at a time. Her parents have met his family, and they all get along well. As of Saturday, March 29th, 2025, my niece is now living in Florida with her boyfriend and his grandparents, who have welcomed her with open arms. It wasn’t a surprise or last-minute decision; she’s been planning this for a bit now, and this past Saturday was the day. My sister and brother-in-law drove her 13.5 hours from MD to FL, which they’ve done in the past. She’s flown before too, but this way, she could take all of her necessities. Plus, they could help her get settled in and spend a little more time with her. I’ve had nieces live in PA and VA in the past, but that’s within 2-3 hours of Baltimore. Look how far away this niece is going to be. I’m not the biggest fan of change, especially a change like this. In a perfect world, my loved ones would live in the same, beautiful area with our own spaces, but it’s not a perfect world. I’m not looking for advice on this, as I’ve already discussed it in therapy. The only way for me to get through this change is to GO THROUGH this change. My therapist did remind me that this is a good change, not like when I lost my parents. It’s true. I can tell you from conversations I’ve had with my niece that moving to Florida is good for her mental and physical health. Plus, it’s not for any negative reasons; she’s just leaving the nest. She’ll be back to visit in the fall, so I’m counting down those 6-8 months lol. My best friend and I will eventually take the road trip to visit her, but it’s not going to be super soon. My niece needs to get settled and adjust to her new life and routine, and my best friend still needs to plan and pay for the Little Guy’s birthday party this summer (how is he going to be 12?!), and he’d be TICKED if we went without him. This particular niece has always been his girl lol. Welp, I do love a good road trip and family time, and I’ve never been to Florida before lol. I’m doing okay. It’ll probably really hit me when her parents get back this week without her. But again, I just need to go through it. I’m going to miss having my niece here like crazy, but I’m so proud of her for making such a big leap. She KNOWS she can always come back if need be, but I think she’s going to be okay. :) And thank God for technology; I can just text her when I miss her. I’m also adding her and her boyfriend to my Christmas card list lol. Anywho, this is such a big change, I just wanted to get my thoughts out there. I need to eat lunch and get some work done. You all have a good day/evening and take care. :) Photo Credit: Pixabay.