“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark Twain

I’ve been alluding to it in my past few posts but now is the time to come clean.  Today is Sunday and on Wednesday I am driving by myself from Connecticut to Charlotte, North Carolina.  I’m hoping this trip will be the beginning of my new life. 

The research has been done and I have talked to many people and I think the Charlotte area might be a good place for me to start my next chapter.  The cost of living is lower, there appears to be many jobs available and the weather is certainly better than CT!  I have distant cousins living in Charlotte and another one thinking of moving there.  Additionally, it’s centrally located in the south east and will make for convenient long weekends to visit other states.

There is a great progressive church in Charlotte that appears to be very active in their community.  I had the opportunity to speak with the minister of this church earlier this week and have made arrangements to meet with her as well as attend their church service while I am there. I’m looking forward to meeting the members of this congregation and hope that I feel at home among them.  The way I figure it, finding a church community will really help me acclimate to the area.  Church members can recommend doctors, the best place to shop and good Italian restaurants. They may be realtors, work for employment agencies or share my interests in genealogy and photography.  It’s a win-win in my eyes.

I’ve started looking at apartments on-line and have found many choices.  Most of the apartments are in “communities” and they all seem to have many amenities to offer; pools, fitness centers, laundry facilities, hiking trails and 24/7 maintenance.  While I am not old enough for the over 55 communities, I hope to find an apartment where there are people closer to my age rather than young families with children.  As this stage in my life, I figure I deserve to be selfish. I would prefer not to live next to a playground or elementary school.  Adults only would be just fine!

So, the journey starts on Wednesday. I’m going to take my time and spread the 11 hour trip down over two days. If I see something interesting, I will stop. If I’m tired or hungry or just feel like stretching, I can stop and take a break.  The thing about traveling solo is that you are beholden only to yourself! My time is my own so I figure to be gone about a week or so.

 If I like the area, like the church and find an apartment, then I am planning on moving down at the end of March.  There is no point in me staying in CT any longer.  I might as well stop paying the high rent and make the move as soon as possible. 

I’m very hopeful about this trip and I’m looking forward to wherever the road takes me…..