Tuesday, January 27, 2009

FINALLY I can spill the beans!

OK. You guys have been so patient with me and I'm so sorry it all took this long! And all the details still aren't worked out, but everyone who needs to be informed has been, so I can finally tell you the news.

Those of you who guessed that we are buying a car: You're right.

But that's not the big news. That's just a side effect of the big news.

The big news is: Torsten and I are moving to Denver. In three weeks.

I KNOW, right? That IS big, isn't it? It's not just me thinking that? We're going to pack up everything we own and let strange people put it into a truck and drive across the country with it and then live in a brand new town where we know basically nobody. That's a big deal, isn't it? And also, see? I told you I wasn't pregnant!

Now, I've told a fair few people about this, and they all seem to have similar questions. So let's do a little FAQ, shall we?

1. Why Denver?
Neither Torsten nor I loves DC, and we definitely don't love the high cost of living here. We're planning our lives, looking to settle down and get ready to start a family, and we don't want to do it here. The things that make DC expensive are things we don't take advantage of. We never go to museums or free cultural events or fun city things. All we really want is a nice-size city with good weather, a couple good restaurants, decent shopping, and a nice atmosphere. A place where would want to raise kids, basically. Denver is that place. It is gorgeous, with stuff to do, great parks and lots of outdoorsy stuff in general, a nice downtown, a very reasonable cost of living, and lovely weather. Plus, the people are supposed to be great (maybe it's all the sun they get).

2. But isn't it cold in Denver?
Sometimes, yes. Denver is very dry, which I am thrilled about as I hate humidity (and not just because of what it does to my hair). It has approximately 300 days of sun per year. It's cold in the winter, and it snows, but not as much as you would think because it's protected from a lot of the winter storms by the mountains. And the cold isn't nonstop. It'll be cold there for awhile and then it'll be sunny and mild. In fact, it is often colder in DC in the winter than it is in Denver.

3. What are you doing in Denver? How are you making this happen?
Torsten and I have been trying to make this happen for awhile, but were trying to figure out the job situation first so we could guarantee that we wouldn't wind up broke on the streets of Denver. Especially in this job market, it's a little scary to let go of a good, steady job, so we wanted to be as stable as possible when we did it. I got offered a job in Denver, and Torsten will be working remotely in the same job he has now.

4. Aren't you scared about picking up and moving across the country to a place where you don't know anyone?
Yes and no. Torsten will be with me, and with him as a constant nothing else is as scary. And while I don't have any friends there yet, I do know a couple of bloggers and friends of friends there, and I think that will be a great starting point for getting settled and making friends. Still, even though I don't want to stay in DC, it will be hard to pull up the roots that I've put down here over the past three years. I have friends here, and my sister is here, and the city has been the site of many important things to me--the first place I lived on my own, where I met Torsten, where I got married. I am certain that there will be tears when our apartment is empty and I have to say goodbye to people. But for now, I'm mostly excited.

5. Aren't your parents upset?
My parents, remarkably, are very excited about this. Well, maybe it isn't that remarkable, given that they tend to be very supportive of me, but it is remarkable given that I will be much further from them than I am now. But they think Denver is a great place and are looking forward to visiting, and know that I will still visit them. Torsten's parents are less thrilled, since we will be further from them and since they are the type to live in the same place and stay in the same job forever (a common German mindset, apparently), but they're trying.

6. Where will you live? Do you have an apartment?
We don't exactly know where we're going to live yet. The general plan (details yet to be confirmed) is to just go there, get there a few days before the moving truck, and stay in a hotel until we find an apartment. Is that insane? I will make some calls to make sure that some buildings have immediate availability, so that we aren't living too much on the edge. But it just isn't worth it to fly out there for a few days ahead of time just to look for a place. And hey, if we can't take a few risks when we're young and unencumbered, when can we?

7. You got a car! Cool! What kind?
It's a 2006 Honda Civic. Not exactly the most exciting car in existence, but practical and very good value. And yes, we are looking forward to driving it 1,700 miles across the country. On Valentine's Day. And the day after that. And the day after that. It's going to be awesome. I can't wait to get there.

109 comments:

  1. Wow! What a big step! This sounds wonderful and I can't wait to hear more about it! :)

    And I'm secretly jealous of that road trip. I love road trips!

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  2. i find it hard to believe you wouldn't immediately google "apartment listings in denver" and have a list of places to go to once you touch down.

    and you forgot to say what your new job entails or who its with or any of that good stuff!

    in any case, good luck.

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  3. OH, nearly forgot - so does this mean theres a little chocolate lab puppy in your near future?!?

    (please say there is, oh pretty pretty please!!)

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  4. Wishing you both nothing but the best! That is happy, exciting news! I just was watching property virgins last night and it was in Colorado. It is very affordable there and very beautiful. My dads family is originally from that area and I have a lot of happy memories from holidays and skiing. I don't know if you guys ski, but great place to learn.

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  5. Congratulations! The husband and I moved thousands of miles away from our friends and family almost five years ago. Sometimes it's hard, but often I think we're lucky because we know we can take care of each other, just the two -- well, now three of us since The Boy's arrival.

    Good luck!

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  6. Congrats! SO exciting. This is the perfect time in your life to do something like this. Enjoy the adventure.

    I was born in Denver and have a lot of family still there. I love it out there, LOVE it, but could never live there myself b/c my family, good intentioned as they are, drive me insane!

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  7. Congratulations! That is exciting. Let me know how Denver is - if the winters aren't so bad, maybe it's a place I might want to look into myself.

    Also. Who wins the contest? :)

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  8. Wow...that IS big news! Congratulations! I've always wanted to do something like that. You guys are going to have so much fun, taking that road trip and starting your new life together!

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  9. Congratulations! What a great adventure to look forward to!

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  10. This is SO EXCITING!

    I can't wait to hear more about that move and settling in, OBV.

    I hadn't thought of just going and staying in a hotel until I found a place (in Boston). That doesn't seem like a bad idea, actually, and being able to move in THAT DAY is a great negotiating tool with landlords.

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  11. Oh wow! This is really very exciting and I'm so happy for you!

    Good luck with the move and I hope you find a great apartment to start this chapter of your life in!

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  12. Wow! So fun and exciting! Colorado is my favourite US state - the one I would choose to live in if I had such a choice.

    I love that you're just wingin' it with the accommodations.

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  13. WOW! That's such exciting news! Can't wait to hear about the road trip - I LOVE road trips. So fun!

    Congratulations on such a huge decisions - many blessings to you both!

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  14. Wow that is very exciting news! Congratulations, that is great. Denver is very fun and absolutely beautiful!

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  15. How exciting! Driving 1,700 miles to your new home = Best Valentine's Day EVER.

    I can't wait to hear your thoughts on Denver--it's always seemed like an interesting place.

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  16. Wow, 3 weeks! That's so soon :) Congrats, though, that sounds extremely exciting. I am pretty jealous, to be honest. Can't wait to hear all about the process! And yay for a car ;)

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  17. That is exciting and wonderful! I loved visiting Denver; it's a beautiful place.

    Good luck finding an apartment. I hope the move goes smoothly!

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  18. My husband is going to be insanely jealous. He would LOVE to just pick up and move to Denver, of all places. You're going to love it, I bet. And a long road trip for Valentine's Day! What fun!

    I'm so happy for you!

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  19. Wow, that is BIG news. I was sure that after all of that hype, it would be a disappointment, but oh it is not! You'll love Denver, I'm sure. I can't wait to hear all about it.

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  20. Wow! Congratulations on your new step in life! My husband and I always wanted to do something like that, but one or both of us always had something that got in the way. Good luck!

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  21. how fun! good luck on your big road trip. i LOVE road trips.

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  22. Oh my gosh! Congratulations!! = D That will be such an amazing adventure for you two - I can't wait to hear all about it!

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  23. Congratulations!!! That IS really big news =). I am very happy for the two of you and I can't wait to read about this new chapter in your life.

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  24. Well Denver's high up and mountain-y, but my guess is your apartment probably won't allow goats...so there goes that idea.

    This is HUGE though - and exciting (and it makes me want to start packing too!)! It brings back memories of our move from WA to ME (where we still know hardly anyone). You are so right about being unencumbered - now is the time! We're still hoping to move sometime this summer and the thought of moving with a two-year-old and a newborn DOES NOT thrill me.

    I hope everything works out just swimmingly for you and I'm looking forward to reading all about your adventures in Denver! Happy packing (and driving - hooray for new cars)!

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  25. Congratulations!! This sounds so awesome. :)

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  26. Congrats! Denver is my hometown, although I've been in DC for 6 years. You won't have trouble finding an apartment at all -- in fact you will be able to score a ridiculous deal that probably includes a month of two of free rent. The cost of housing is ridiculously cheap compared to here (case in point: my sister's mortgage on her single family house is literally half of ours here on our townhouse in northern VA). Have fun! It's one of the best cities in the US, hands down. And the local grocery store is called King Soopers - can't beat that!

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  27. A friend of mine moved to Denver from Va a few years back. She says her hair has not been poofy a day since.

    Congrats on the move!

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  28. Congrats! Sounds like a great opportunity and I'm looking forward to hearing about your adventures!

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  29. Oh my goodness! I am so excited for you! I've heard Denver is an amazing city. You are going to have such a great adventure. I can't wait to hear all about it!

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  30. Awesome! I hope everything goes really smoothly, especially the apartment-hunting! You are totally living on the edge. :)

    Yay for the new (to you) Civic!

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  31. That is pretty awesome! It's Chris's dream to do the same thing. We both love Denver, it's beautiful. I'm excited for you!

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  32. congrats!!! i think this move will make you much more independent, and will allow you to grow so much more as a person and as a couple!! :)

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  34. Do they have goats in Denver? :)

    Seriously - that's is fantastic news! I think you will both love Denver - and it truly is an ideal place to start a family. You're going about it in a very smart way - jobs lined up, and a few days to apartment hunt before the truck arrives.

    There are a lot of websites that will advertise available apartments, and other websites where renters can review their experiences. I've found those sites to be EXTREMELY helpful. They'll let you know how the parking situation is, if the apartments are noisy, etc.

    Good luck! Enjoy the drive! :)

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  35. yay for public disclosure! i will actually be out that way at the end of april for a training, assuming i'm still working here... maybe i'll get to see you! i'm so impressed with your guts to do this:)

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  36. Congrats.

    Sometimes a major move is what you need to do to shake up your life and create opportunites.

    I look forward to how Denver suits the two of you.

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  37. Yay! Can't wait to meet you. Denver temps are currently -4 (the coldest, like ever) but last week they were in the 60's, and by wednesday they're supposed to crawl back into the 40's, so have no fear. It's cold but the cold doesn't last long.

    Also congrats on the civic, I think that was a good choice. My husband would tell you you're the smartest buyer ever for getting a honda, much less a honda civic. He has a weird thing for them.

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  38. Oh, and I'm really glad to hear torsten will be able to telecommute. Whew! Burden lifted! At least a little bit, right?

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  39. Yay! Can't wait to come visit you in Denver, as you're the FIFTH friend I've had move there in the past year. Apparently, Denver is the place to be!

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  40. Oh my goodness! How exciting! I wish you and Torsten the best of luck with the trip and your new lives in Denver.

    Also, I am v. jealous.

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  41. That is SO exciting! And I've only ever heard good things about Denver. I've often thought if I ever moved, that Colorado would be in the running as a place to go.

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  42. that is so exciting!!! Congrats!

    Be sure to take lots of pictures of the road trip along the way :) I've never been out west :(

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  43. How exciting! You guys are going to love it. Moving across the country to a place you've never lived in before is the thing to do. Worked out great for me!

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  44. How exciting! I'm sure you'll love living in Denver. It's fun to mix it up and move once in a while.

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  45. that is amazing! i'm so happy for you!

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  46. Fun!

    Denver really is a great city. My husband was there for a year (while we were engaged). It was sunny, but chillier than Ohio. A very fun place to hang out and shop and play! Enjoy and keep blogging about it!! :)

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  47. Wow, that is super exciting! Congrats on the new job and new place to live. Denver looks beautiful.

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  48. Oh wow! How exciting! I wish we could do the same! Good luck with everything and best wishes for your future in Denver!

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  49. Congratulations on your move - How exciting!

    It's amusing that Torsten's parents would be upset that he will be farther away - I figured being across the ocean was all the same; it wouldn't matter WHERE exactly within the same country.

    I've uprooted several times, though not in this decade. I never minded it.

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  50. WOW! Very exciting! BD and I have big dreams of moving out to CO in a few years when I am finished with grad school. And, about moving away together...5 years ago we moved 1,000 miles away from our hometown and it was one of the best decisions we've ever made. ~LA

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  51. Woo! We have the same car, now! And we are neighbors!!

    You and Torsten have friends just to the North. Yes, yes you do.

    Looking forward to seeing you!

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  52. thats amazing! good luck! I'll be in Denver in June ;)

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  53. Ah! Very, very, very cool! I almost went to school in Denver and still totally wouldn't mind living there. Congrats!!!!! I can't wait to hear all about it.

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  54. How exciting! Denver is gorgeous! :)

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  55. That is AWESOME!! And Hell Yeah on the Honda Civic. Best car I've ever owned. Best wishes to you guys on your move.

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  56. H! I'm mostly a lurker, but I wanted to welcome you to Denver! I've lived here most of my life, and have lived in DC too, and let me tell you you're going to love it! It sounds like you already have some contacts and friends here, but if you have any questions or want to have coffee or a drink I would love to get together. I'm at myfutureme@gmail.com.

    _Jeni

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  57. That's awesome news and totally exciting!

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  58. It's so exciting to pick up and move. Now is as good a time as any. I wish you safe travels. Congrats to you both!

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  59. Fun! I've heard Denver is Super Cool. So cool I am actually planning a Big Family Road Trip there for the summer. MAYBE I WILL COME STALK YOU.

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  60. I *knew* you were moving!! I'm so smart! (Though my guess of across-the-ocean was a bit too far, heh).

    Congrats on the big decision! I'm sure that the move will be exciting and new apartments are always fun. And hey, a city with a bunch of outdoorsy stuff to do will offer new exercise options that are far more entertaining than the gym! Bonus!!

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  61. Wow! That IS big news! If I may share some of my experience from having moved quite a few times in my life :) :

    Instead of booking a regular hotel or motel, look for an executive hotel with extended stay options, so that in case you can't move into any place for a couple of weeks, you won't be stuck paying the outrageous hotel motel per night fee :)

    Pack any extremely valuable breakables in older clothes that you know you won't use for a while, it'll save space packing and give your stuff extra protection :)

    And finally--and this is the best advice I could ever think to give: don't buy moving boxes from UHaul or anywhere like that. Get them for free from a bookstore. Seriously. Go to Borders and ask if they have any boxes they can spare from their shipments. Bookstore boxes are built from some weird kind of super steel cardboard. When I worked there we would get some boxes that looked like they had been dropped off of twelve story buildings and the contents inside survived just fine. Plus, you can fit quite a lot of stuff in a standard sized bookstore box!

    Good luck with the move!!! It's so exciting! :)

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  62. Wow! Delurking to say congratulations! Also, welcome to Denver! It was 71 degrees here last week (and *cough* zero here this morning).

    Hey, the hip neighborhood, where I would consider living if I was renting and had no kids? Highland Park, just across the river from the city.

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  63. Congrats! Don't be worried about #4 at all. My husband and I live near Chicago and we know no one out here, and although I sometimes miss my family and friends, I wouldn't give up the atmosphere out here for anything.

    We are going to be in Denver Feb. 13 - 16 (leaving at 6 am on the 16th though!). It sounds like we are going to just miss you? :(

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  64. Very exciting! Yay Denver! Lovely symphony there as well.

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  65. SO EXCITING!

    We moved once with no living arrangements and it worked fine. We stayed in a motel and called around, and we called a self-storage place to make sure they had a unit there in case we needed it (we did a UHaul thing, so we had our truck for several days after we arrived), and the day our truck was due back we moved into a very nice and inexpensive apartment.

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  66. Holy crap! I'm so excited for you both! What an awesome adventure to take on with your new husband =) Best of luck!

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  67. WOOOO it's out in the open! yay! this is going to be SO exciting for you guys. i don't envy you the road trip (so not my thing!) but this is definitely the best time in your lives for this :-)

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  68. Congratulations!! Excited for you guys!

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  69. I wish Aaron and I had the guts (and the bar admissions) to up and move somewhere random. Congrats on making it happen for yourselves.

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  70. Oh, I'm so happy for you both. I love when people take charge of their life like this. It's inspiring. Enjoy!

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  71. I am SO excited for you! I have lots of experience moving across the country (and I even moved to New York once with no housing lined up) so maybs we can share tips! Oh this is going to provide such great blog fodder, haha!

    3 weeks! So soon!

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  72. Very cool! It takes guts to pack up and move across the country, I envy you. Wishing you lots of good luck and fun on your adventure!

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  73. I've moved around a lot in the last several years to places that I knew no one, and I can say that it was totally worth it, even when it didn't work out. Being in a strange place, with people who are different from you and all of your friends gives you a sense of perspective that you wouldn't gain otherwise. It's important life experience, I think.

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  74. Congrats! That is exciting! I hope you'll love your new home.

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  75. Denver's a hot spot right now. Congratulations!

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  76. hi there. i have been reading your blog for awhile but never commented until now because i live in denver! i packed up my life in nj exactly 6 years ago and moved here. you will love the weather...it was 70 degrees last week! the winters are much milder than the east coast. there are tons of apartments for rent. drive around to see what neighborhood you want to live in and you will find one very quickly. craigslist and the westword are the best besides driving around. i just got laid off last week so that is great that you have jobs! good luck!

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  77. Oh wow - I think that is so exciting! It will be nice to start fresh and be so much fun to explore a new city together, etc.

    Also, exciting about the car. I have a Civ too and love it! Great on gas!

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  78. Holy Crap! You'll be within driving distance!! And I have friends in Denver I need to visit anyway....Road Trip 2009 is already taking shape in my head!

    xox

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  79. WOW - that was almost too much to take in at one time. How very exciting for you and Torsten! This is totally exciting!

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  80. That is SO EXCITING!
    Lucky Duck!!!!
    I live in DC and went to HS in Colo. Springs and have been DYING to move back.
    Jealous.

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  81. that is very exciting news, jess!! good luck to you and torsten :)

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  82. This is great news!! I can't wait to hear all about everything!

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  83. Oh my goodness! That is AWESOME news! I am so excited for you guys in this next step. Also, I'm extreeeemely biased, because the bulk of my family lives in Colorado and the Denver area and I only know it for how amazing it is.
    Congratulations! :) Can't WAIT to hear more about it.

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  84. Holy crap! Holeee crap!

    I'm so excited for you guys! Denver is beautiful, amazing, grrreat. Yay! Plus you'll be a million gazillion hours closer to California which is great!

    Can't wait to hear more!

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  85. Wow that's awesome, and congrats! It takes serious guts to move across the country, and I'm glad that you're getting to do it with Torsten. :)

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  86. Denver is fantastic! I am from there (but don't live there now) and you are going to love the weather and the beauty. As all the other Denverites said - housing won't be too hard to find. Best of luck to you and enjoy!

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  87. So exciting! I've spent about 3 days in Denver total (and I was snowbound trying to get back to the Midwest, so it really doesn't count) but it seems like a fun city. Good luck with the move!

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  88. Wow, congrats! I've only been to Denver once and it was years ago, but it was so lovely out there. I'm sure you're going to have a great time. You're absolutely right, if you can't do it when you're young, when?

    I'm excited that you're excited! (Isn't the blog-i-verse weird?)

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  89. sososoSOOOOO exciting!!!

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  90. WOW! That is serious news. Congrats to you both. What an exciting adventure :)

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  91. What exciting news! Denver has always seemed like a great place to live to me, for all the reasons you mentioned. I love my civic, it is a great car for road trips.

    So when are you getting a puppy? ;)

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  92. Yes, I'd say that definitely qualifies as big news. Congrats! I've often thought about picking up and moving somewhere totally new, but it's scary to do it all alone (especially when I love my friends here so much and it took me so long to build that network). You're right, though: with a great partner as a constant, it would be a lot less daunting. Good luck!!

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  93. Congratulations and way to go on your new adventure! That's fantastic!

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  94. Oh my God so exciting! It will be so fun and such a cool adventure; you'll both love it!

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  95. Wow! What awesome news! It sounds like a lot of fun. And yes you should enjoy doing these things while you're young and unencumbered.

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  96. This is great news! Moving and change can be so exciting and rejuvenating.

    But girl! Start making appointments to see apartments the day you get there. Check out sites like Craigslist, and call to see what's available. Going in with some appointments already set up will make it much, much less stressful.

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  97. Craigslist is my apartment search charm- every fantastic apartment I've ever lived in has come from Craigslist.

    Congrats on taking the big step out of the Beltway!

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  98. oh wow! so exciting!! i wish i had the guts to do something like that!

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  99. oh my gosh!!!!! HOW EXCITING!!!!! I am so glad i didn't mark all as read because then i would have missed your big news. I'm extremely jealous of this big move, Denver is actually somewhere I'm considering moving to. What a big step and how exciting for you.

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  100. Yay for you! Denver has been in my Top 5 Places to Live list for a long time. I'm very envious that you got there before us, but very excited to hear how things go. I think you'll enjoy the adventure of moving and exploring such a great city. Congratulations!

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  101. Yay for you! Denver has been in my Top 5 Places to Live list for a long time. I'm very envious that you got there before us, but very excited to hear how things go. I think you'll enjoy the adventure of moving and exploring such a great city. Congratulations!

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  102. Yea! Denver! Hub and I moved to Va Beach after living in Denver for almost 6 years. It is a great place to live. So many things to do! And it's not crazy to move out without having a place to live. That's what I did. I moved out for an internship and had 2 days to find a place. Dad helped and we used Apartment Finders and found a place with no problems. Enjoy the change of scenery. Denver really is lovely!

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  103. as a Denver native now in DC, I say GREAT MOVE! You will love Denver. It's impossible not to. I hope to move back sometime in the next 5 years myself. The job thing is indeed a hurdle...

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