We Made It!
We're finally settling down in Tennessee.
Well, our move is finally complete (only four months behind schedule), and there are quite a few distinguishing factors that I've noticed about my new home in Maryville, Tennessee. They range from logistical to cultural to political and beyond. First, I'll focus on the logistics because they are the most fun.
The nature of my work requires me to return to D.C. frequently. In fact, I'm writing this on a flight to DC from Knoxville. Since the move (on September 1), I’ve been back twice and am returning again this week.
Needless to say, I'll be traveling quite a bit, usually to D.C.
Now, for most people traveling every other week would get old pretty fast. But for me and my particular travel, it's not bad.
The Knoxville airport is about 13 minutes from my house. It has one terminal and 12 gates. American Airlines has five direct flights to Washington National Airport daily and four direct flights back.
On a good day, I can be at my office in downtown D.C. about three and a half hours after leaving my home in Maryville. Tennessee. Most days, it’s about four and a half hours. This may not seem like a big deal, but in the 21 years I lived in the D.C. area, I probably experienced similar commute times to my home (four to six miles from my office) once or twice a year.
Moreover, flying first class round trip costs only about $100 to $150 more than economy, so I can splurge occasionally for a more comfortable experience.
That's the big-picture view of the logistics.
The more condensed version of logistics is even more compelling. Here in Maryville, I can get nearly everything I need within a 15-minute drive from my home. Now, that may not seem exceptional, but let me establish context.
At my house in the Maryland suburbs of D.C., a 15-minute drive, including parking, generally got me, at most, one to two miles away. At my current home, 15 minutes of driving and parking gives me an eight to 10-mile radius to work with.
I want to remain objective, so I need to clarify. There are probably the same amenities in my current eight to 10 miles as in my previous one to two miles because I live in a far less dense area. However, there is far less stress that results from the trip. Driving 10 minutes to travel eight miles is much less stressful than driving 10 minutes to travel two miles.
Of course, none of this means I have more time. It just means I spend less time stressed about getting places. And it’s so beautiful!
In fact, one of the most surprising aspects of the move (so far) is the fact that I don't have more available time. I'm unsure why I thought I would have more free time, but I did. And I was wrong.
I definitely have less stress about time, though.
All in all, the move has been successful. We're struggling to sell our house in Maryland due to the higher interest rates, but I'm sure that will work okay.
We all love the new house, which makes it easier for me, my wife, and her mother to feel comfortable and connected throughout the day.
I’ll tell you more about the experience soon and touch on some cultural and political differences I'm experiencing. Needless to say, they are profound and will take some getting used to.