We're in Fargo

Well, we made it! We left the Jersey shore Wed. afternoon around 3 pm, and arrived in Fargo Sat. night 9:30 pm Central time. In between, we spent a day in Michigan visiting my family. We

had our best meal on the road at my parents'...corn on the cob and tomatoes from Dad's garden and Mom's blueberry pie. It was nice to have a day of no traveling. The kids enjoyed exploring Dad's garden. Billy "harvested" a tomato, a cucumber and a carrot.

The road trip itself went much more smoothly than expected. I was expecting to stop every hour for an hour of potty breaks and screaming at the prospect of getting back in the car (the kids, not me.) The kids adapted pretty well, although I admit that having the DVD player in the car helped tremendously. After leaving Michigan Friday afternoon, we only got as far as Rockford, IL that night and I fully expected we wouldn't get to Fargo until Sunday. Saturday was our longest day on the road, almost 12 hours including pitstops, but the kids were cooperative and we were able to get here on Sat. night.

So, we've been settling in the past few days. For a metro area with around 100K people, Fargo is surprisingly easy to get around in: wide lanes, little traffic and the ability to make left turns! And yes, people do talk like they do in the movie "Fargo". There is a great park on the banks of the Red River which borders Minnesota, and we have been taking the kids there to play at the playground. I found a good supermarket nearby so we can start cooking...food on the go gets old after a while. And, we have started receiving our forwarded mail!

The hotel has been nice...it will be comfortable for the time that we are here. 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and a kitchen/dining room/living room. Our kitchen in our "North Dakota home", as we refer to it for the kids, is sufficient to cook simple meals...a 2-burner stove, microwave, toaster oven and a crock pot (that we bought here...we needed a new one anyway). The kids are living in the lap of luxury in their bedroom here...they each get a full-sized bed and have their own bathroom! They look so little in their beds. There is a fenced-in common area that serves as our "North Dakota backyard", and an indoor pool which we checked out yesterday for the first time...the kids loved it!

Today (Wed.) is the kids' first day of day care here, and I think they were as ready to get back into a routine as I was. They got new backpacks and were excited to use them. They are in the same room together which should help with the transition. The cost is less than half what we pay in NJ, and all food is included! No packing lunches for them for a while (although I have been making Matt's lunch...can't get away from it! :-) ) I'm anxious to hear how everything went when I pick them up later.

Studying for my exam also begins today! I have a big box of notes to dust off and organize. I'm ready to get started. Tonight we're meeting up with a retired professor that Matt met at the airport when he first came out here, and we're going to a picnic for the Democratic Party of Cass County. Should be interesting... :-)

Talk to you soon!

Update from the Shore

We're at the shore!

We arrived in Beach Haven late Sat. night. Sunday was a good beach day...the kids had a blast! Maddy loved playing in the waves. Billy eventually warmed up to it, and once he did, he didn't want to stop! Today has been raining on and off, so we've been hanging out around the beach house, and we went crabbing in the bay. Maddy really liked the hermit crab Aunt Pat caught. The Dougherty clan also caught a few small crabs and a sea urchin. Matt demonstrated how to pick up a crab so it doesn't pinch, but I prefered to just observe. It's clearing up now...getting ready to go for a bike ride. A couple more days of R&R, then it's road trip time.

Update

T-4 days until Matt returns from Fargo!

Matt left 7/19 to visit his brother Bill in Indianapolis for a couple days, then start his new consulting assignment in Fargo. He's flying back 8/3, then we're headed for the shore for a few days...then comes the big road trip back to Fargo!

The kids and I have managed to get through the last couple weekends without anyone melting down too much. Thanks to my inlaws for keeping us occupied! Dinner at Bob's and Pat's...going to the park and pool at Karen's...spending the day at Jean's in her pool and watching the hot air balloon festival...it would have been two very long weeks otherwise.

As it turned out, I won't be telecommuting after all. The company has never allowed anyone to telecommute, and they decided I wouldn't be the first. So, I'm taking a leave of absense. I've decided to study for my next exam, which is in November. We already have day care arrangements in place...this may be the only way I can pass with kids! I'll probably spend less time studying than I would have spent working, so I'll be able to spend more time with the kids. My job will be waiting for me when I return. The money would have been nice, but this will probably work out for the best.

Up next...the beach and the road trip!

It's official!

In approximately 4 weeks, we'll all be in Fargo, ND!

I'm about as surprised as anyone. If someone had told me a week and a half ago that we would be living in Fargo for 3 months, I wouldn't have believed it. We have been fortunate that, as consultants, we have been able to work locally (for the most part) as long as Matt and I have known each other. Traveling for work before might have meant Matt being gone during the week and home on weekends for a month or two, and he hasn't had to do that for a couple years.

Like anyone else, we have to go where the jobs are. It defies logic that, in a metro area as large as NYC, the opportunities in Matt's field are just not here, but at the moment that's the way it is. After looking locally for his next assignment for a couple months, we decided to put our chips on the table and open up the job search. We decided that, if the right position came along, we could all go out together: the weather is nice, the kids aren't old enough to have to deal with school schedules, etc. The work I do requires very little face-to-face contact, so I can work from almost anywhere.

Within a couple weeks, the opportunities from other locations started coming in. We chose Fargo because, believe it or not, it was the most "exotic" place.

So, for the past several days, we have been making arrangements...it's amazing how quickly things have been coming together. We have a place to stay, and I have a good lead on a sitter for the kids while I'm working. It's still going to be a busy few weeks until we're there...Matt leaves later this week to start his position, so I will have my hands full with the kids, tying up some loose ends at my job, packing for the trip, etc.

My hope is that this blog will be a good way to keep our families updated on our "adventure". My goal is to post at least once a week. So, I will keep you posted!