MAJOR Life Update!
We Moved!
Let’s Catch Up!
We moved to Indiana!
Jackson and I had been praying and dreaming about some kind of move since before we even got married. We talked about Florida, South Carolina, Texas, and so many other places before finally landing where we are now.
And who knows? Those places (and others?!) still aren’t off the table. We try to hold everything with an open hand.
But we truly felt that God moved all the right pieces into place to make this move happen, and we are so happy here!
A Note on Place
I read a book last year called The Power of Place by Daniel Grothe. This book is packed full of wisdom! In the book, he talks about how “place nourishes identity.”
Where we live nourishes who we are and are becoming.
In Atomic Habits by James Clear, he discusses a similar topic about the power of our environment in habit formation. He writes, “Environment is the invisible hand that shapes human behavior. We tend to believe our habits are a product of our motivation, talent, and effort. Certainly, these qualities matter. But the surprising thing is, especially over a long time period, your personal characteristics tend to get overpowered by your environment.”
Where we spend our time matters. If our environment aligns with the identity we want, it will propel us towards it. But if it doesn’t, we will feel like we are fighting an uphill everyday to do even the things we want to do.
Intentional Design
Moving to a new city, a new state, a new apartment, a new home - it presents an organic opportunity to redesign your environment to align with the identity you are working to cultivate.
So being here, in our new place, I have tried to slow down and be intentional about our space. What I bring into it. How I lay it out.
Our phones charge in the kitchen because I don’t want to be someone who is looking at a screen right when I wake up or before I go to sleep. I want my identity to include presence.
My drawing and embroidery tools now live in a drawer right by the couch because I want to make it easy to pick those activities up. I want my identity to include creativity.
Our living room now lacks a TV - on purpose! I want my identity to include intentional conversation and community.
I’m not saying you need to do the same things we have. But whether you are moving or not, design your space in a way that supports the habits, routines, hobbies, and ultimately the identity of the person you want to be.
Thank you for reading! I can’t wait to share more about what life looks like here in Indiana. We are so thankful!
Take care,
Caroline