Goodbye, Omaha—Here’s Where We’re Headed Next!

We have some big news to share! Remember how we’ve been waiting for months and months to find out where the military was going to send us next?? Stuart had applied for a couple of staff positions at residency programs in St. Louis and Destin, Florida and if we didn’t get either of those we could go anywhere. Well….we’ve finally been assigned a position!

Drumroll, please….

We’ve been assigned to…

St. Louis! 

Here’s a little behind-the-scenes on how we got here-

When we applied for each position, we knew Florida would be much more competitive due to fewer positions available there. While Florida had its appeal—better weather, close to the beach (hello, family vacations!), and a more relaxed schedule for Stuart’s program—we kept our expectations realistic. Deep down, I had a feeling St. Louis was where we’d land, and we’re honestly thrilled about it!

Even before the decision was official, we started casually looking for houses in St. Louis. We actually found the perfect house—checking off every single item on our “wants and needs” list. The only downside? It’s under contract, and it’s way too early for us to buy. But Stuart’s keeping an eye on it, and if the deal falls through, he’s open to exploring the possibility. Otherwise, we’ll keep looking, knowing St. Louis offers more affordable options than Florida and will give us way more bang for our buck.

While we’ll miss the year-round warmth of Florida, a higher likelihood of family coming to visit due to beach access and the idea of weekends off (Florida’s program offered that, but St. Louis doesn’t guarantee it), there are so many positives about this move. St. Louis has a more affordable housing market, the climate is slightly milder than Omaha, and we’ll see the beautiful fall colors—a big deal for me, even if Stuart doesn’t experience quite the same autumn nostalgia. Omaha’s fall leaves go from green to brown in the blink of an eye, which was a severe let-down for me when we moved here. 

On the flip side, as far as we can tell Stuart’s schedule in St. Louis will be similar to his current residency, with on-call duties and no guaranteed weekends off. But we’ve made it through so far, so we know we can handle it.

We’ve heard nothing but great things about St. Louis! Everyone we know who’s lived there seems to love it, and there’s so much to do—plus an incredible children’s museum I can’t wait to take the kids to. I do have family there right now, though they’ll be moving shortly after we arrive. Thankfully, being part of our church means it’s easy to find a community wherever we go and I fully intend to have a solid friend group before I throw all of our holiday parties next year. 

We’re not actually planning to live in Missouri itself but just across the river in Illinois (shh, don’t tell anyone!). If you have suggestions for great areas to live or fun things to do, send them our way—we’re all ears!

Our time in Omaha has been exceptionally sweet. We bought this house when the market was crazy, and we didn’t really have a chance to shop around. However, while it wasn’t our dream home, it’s been good to us. We’ve poured a lot of love into renovations, but we’re ready for a change—goodbye, split-level! I won’t miss ya. We’re looking forward to a home that fits our growing family a little better, particularly one where I can give the baby tummy time on the carpet in the living room while I get my work done and watch from the kitchen.

We’re sad to leave our Omaha friends but excited for new beginnings. Stuart is a little nervous about the teaching aspect of his new role and has been studying hard to prepare (he also has boards to take before we move—wish him luck!). It’s a big transition, but we’re confident this is the right move for us and are looking forward to all the growth and opportunities ahead.

Thanks for following along on our journey! We’ll keep you posted as things unfold.

Love,
Crystel