LEAVING NEW YORK - A Bittersweet & Exciting Big Move
If you follow me on Instagram, you’ve seen the teasers. Or maybe you’ve just gotten suspicious that I’ve been clearing out my studio and our storage space. After about a month of posting about studio cleaning, I started getting occasional messages asking if we are moving…. and I just kinda avoided them. But, it’s time to tell you. Yes, we are moving, and it’s a really big move.
For most of our relationship, Jason has traveled to Scotland frequently for work. Prior to 2020 - when business travel ground to a halt - he would go for a week or more, every other month. It became a routine in our relationship. When he was gone, my sewing projects would take over the whole apartment: ironing board in front of the TV, which played exclusively Gilmore Girls and rom coms that I had seen a million times before. I’d stay up way too late. I’d miss him, but I’d love my time alone, too. He always took the same return flight, so I knew what time he’d be home, and I would prepare an elaborate meal, maybe Lebanese mezze, maybe Japanese breakfast, always a fresh pot of coffee.
I think I’ve tagged along on his trips to Scotland four times. I either fly over there with him, or meet him later in the trip. We explore Scotland, or catch a flight to another country, like when we went to Germany last summer. We have always enjoyed traveling as much as possible, but this felt a little different. Scotland felt like a place we could live. So we started thinking about it.
When it became a reality that Jason could relocate his job to be based in Scotland, we were so excited! This thing we had dreamed about could be real! But also, I was sad. On the visit where this first seemed like a possibility, I walked through all of Edinburgh while he was at work, ending up in Leith, where I sat on a bench by the water, watching the swans, and just sobbed. Could I leave New York? New York is home.
I moved to NYC in 2006, immediately after graduating from the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), and started my internship at the Diane von Furstenberg design studio literally the next day. I hit the ground running. From there, I always worked as a textile designer in the fashion industry, wearing high heels and dresses to work and loving every moment of it. The story of my career is best saved for another post, but suffice it to say, my jobs, the people I have met through them, and the work experiences I have had in New York have defined me and set me on my path.
More important than anything work related, since my first every apartment in the city, I’ve lived walking distance from friends - dear, old friends, people I met in high school and college - and my cousins, aunts and uncles. It has always felt like home to me because loved ones are nearby. Plus the pace of the city suits my impatient nature. The thought of leaving was terrifying. But I loved the idea of living abroad, and decided, just try it! Just try it.
Jason and I went to Scotland together in February 2020 to check out what neighborhoods we might want to live in. We could choose between Edinburgh (obviously beautiful, a bit touristy) or Glasgow (maybe a little grittier, better art scene, our favorite restaurants). We split our time between both, and when Jason was at work, I walked and walked and walked, noting which neighborhoods I liked, poking in to any shop that caught my eye (this is one of my greatest specialties, ha!). But then, on our trip home, we kept hearing about a virus in China. People in the airport were wearing masks, but honestly, I didn’t question that too much, because I’ve worn a mask on the plane for years (long story).
So that’s been a big delay, for us, for you, for the world: Covid. To be clear, the virus is a tragedy, not an inconvenience, and I’ve been horrified to see people not taking it seriously. We were meant to have moved in the summer of 2020, but all offices related to visas, etc. closed for months, and international travel seemed irresponsible anyway. We took that time to weigh the pros and cons of each city, and ultimately decided on Glasgow (we can always move to Edinburgh or the countryside later!). Once offices began to reopen in the late summer and fall, Jason’s work began processing our move.
At some point, I’m not totally sure why, our move out date was set to the end of January. It seemed far away, that must have been five or six months ago. We terminated our lease here in Brooklyn for the end of the month of January, and we began working on visa applications. I won’t bore you with the nitty gritty (and anyway, if it’s something you are interested in doing, best speaking to your employer or doing research based on your own circumstances), but basically, you submit your applications, and then you wait. There is no way to check the status. You just hope you get a visa.
Jason is sponsored by his employer so his visa came quickly. But I am on a Partner visa, basically, linked to his visa, which took longer to process. It was painful to wait. I thought I was gonna snap as each day rolled by. But it finally arrived just two days ago. So now everything is happening FAST.
We move out next week. Movers will come and whisk away our belongings. We are typically very light travelers, but we will lug multiple suitcases to the airport. I bought a carry on suitcase just for my sewing machine!! When we arrive in Glasgow, there is a temporary apartment set up for us for the first month, and we must quarantine for 10 days (we also must present a series of negative Covid test results prior to our flight).
It's all a big deal. It’s a major life change. I am feeling all the feelings at once. I am nervous and excited. I’m scared, and I feel like it’ll be OK. I am hopeful that this means more European travel will be in our future, once everyone is vaccinated. If you’ve made it this far, thank you for reading. It feels good to share this news, that I’ve kept inside while waiting and waiting for so long. I’m looking forward to all I can share on the other side of the ocean. XO, Martha
