An Open Letter to Charleston: My Thoughts on My Cross-Country Move

| Dress | Bag | Heels | Earrings | Watch |

Dear Charleston,

Almost exactly a year ago, I chose you out of all the cities in the world. Texas had been my home for 13 years of my life, but when I decided to blog full-time (meaning I could also work from home), I suddenly had an opportunity laid at my feet that had never been there before: to move anywhere I wanted.

What an incredible turn of events. Even with the knowledge that I had the most amazing family and had established wonderful, life-long friendships that I would never be able to replace, the heart of an adventurer was beating inside of me so loudly that I couldn’t ignore its call. It was time to start something new. A new life, just for myself.

You might be asking, why did you choose me? And while I appreciate your modesty, you know exactly why I came here. There’s a reason why you’re one of the top tourist cities in the US! Your beaches, your gorgeous houses and landmarks (a blogger’s dream), your friendly residents, and your foodie culture were all obvious reasons I narrowed you down to one of my top choices, but you know that God was also calling me to come here. I have never tried to make big decisions on my own. I turn my soul into a flimsy tree caught in a storm so I can bend and move in the direction of His chosen path for me, and it was so clear that He was pointing me to you (for reasons I did not understand at the time but I definitely listened to). So, I chose you, and after a short visit in early July, I began preparing for my move.

First of all, I want to thank you for treating me so well right off the bat. If I had known how many welcoming new faces you had here to greet me, I wouldn’t have been as nervous! One of my favorite aspects of Austin was the tight-knit blogging community my friends and I had established there together, and I had heard that not every city was like that, so I wasn’t sure what you would have for me. However, after being with you for about 8 months, I’ve had time to find some really amazing friends (some bloggers, some not). Not to mention, you were growing and shaping a wonderful boyfriend for me! It’s like you were starting this amazing new life before I even unpacked my bags, and I was able to leap right into it without missing a beat.

Not everything has been picture-perfect, of course. You remind me daily that if I stick with this choice, it means being far from my parents, my sister and brother-in-law, my two beautiful nieces, and my dear friends, possibly for the rest of my life. Missing my tiny nieces grow up is something that weighs on my heart any time I see photos or videos of them. Even though I’m blessed with my flexible schedule and am able to visit often, it’s amazing how much they change even in a couple of months (those of you with beloved youngsters in your lives know what I’m talking about, they learn new things almost every day!). I miss them all the time. On the other hand, the relationships with my close friends are stronger than ever! We all lived all over Texas before I moved, and were busy with jobs, weddings, (now children!), and our families, and didn’t see each other as much as we would have liked. But now that I’m so far, we are all trying harder than before to stay in touch by calling and texting way more often than we used to. It still feels sad to not be able to leave at a moment’s notice to visit them, but at least we have no intention of ever fizzling out.

You do help distract me, I’ll give you that. You have definitely helped grow my blog with all your gorgeousness and excitement! Plus, the constant hustle of owning my own business keeps me busy every day with new photoshoots, meetings, brainstorming sessions, and a full inbox of emails. Your social game is strong here as well! You always have some event happening or a new restaurant opening, and everyone here is totally down to get drinks any day of the week (which is fiiiine by me!).

In many ways, you aren’t too different from Austin. You are both top bachelor/bachelorette party destinations (meaning you’re both fun), you have unique and creative chefs with fabulous restaurants, trendy bars, and a younger crowd, so it doesn’t feel like much of a culture shock. What you have over Austin in my opinion, though, is your scenery, your coastal proximity, and your history. The hill country of Texas is gorgeous, but I just can’t get past your beautiful historic homes, palmetto trees, marshes, marinas, and ocean and beaches. You’re so different from any place I’ve ever lived! Whenever I have time to spare, I walk around and just take in your beauty, and aside from being with my boyfriend and new friends, that’s when you feel most like home to me.

So, Charleston, I leave you with this:

Thank you.

Thank you for being exactly what I hoped you would be. Come on, this could have been a total disaster! Who decides to just up and move cross-country without knowing anyone?! When I take time to think about it, it truly does feel meant to be (grace be to God!). I started a new life at age 27 and rewrote the story I had written for years, and it’s turning out to be one of the best decisions I have ever made. So, thank you for truly being the Charleston of my dreams. I’m looking forward to seeing what else you have in store for me. I’m sure it’s going to be fabulous!

All the love,

Hilary

PS A special thank you as well to all the people here who have been especially helpful during my transition. You know who you are.

Photos by: N. Mickle Photography