Moving to Miami: Our Experience

If you follow me on Instagram, you probably know by now that Kris, Ollie and I are now living in Miami, FL.

When we made the decision to move from Illinois to Florida, we were overwhelmed with a lot of emotions.

In many ways it felt like the right decision, but we were also very bummed about leaving behind the life we had built in the past few years.

After all, Illinois was familiar and it has most of our friends and family. But living in Miami presented us with a lot more opportunities and way better weather. 

So we decided to take the chance and move to Miami. We thought we owed it to ourselves to take this opportunity and give Miami a shot.

We figured that the best way to move everything we had was to drive the 20-something hours to Florida. Now that freaked me out.

The longest I had ever driven was about an hour and a half. Not to mention that I’ve never been a road trip person so being in the car for the long terrified me.

Still, I agreed to it and luckily one of my best friends offered to drive with me in case I needed a break.

Kris was driving in his car with Ollie, and his parents took the van with all of our stuff.

Off we go

We were supposed to leave on Tuesday, October 2nd at 5 AM but obviously things never go according to plan. So we left just past 6 AM.

Oddly enough, I wasn’t as anxious about the drive as I thought I’d be.

I was tired since I hadn’t slept much the night before, but I was excited about this new experience.

First stop: Nashville

The drive through Illinois felt never-ending. I guess I didn’t realize how long IL actually is. 

We made a few potty breaks for ourselves and the dogs, but our first big stop was Nashville, TN. 

I told Kris that if we were driving to Miami, we should at least stop by Nashville to check it out and learn why so many people love that city.

Plus, I love watching Very Cavallari and would take any excuse I can to visit Uncommon James.

As soon as we started driving into Nashville it was clear why everyone ends up moving there.

It’s absolutely beautiful, feels so alive, and the people are so nice.

Experiencing Uncommon James

If you watch Very Cavallari, you probably know all about Uncommon James. 

When we got to the store, I was amazed by how beautiful it looks. Plus not to mention the gorgeous jewelry and home decor.

Kristin Cavallari definitely did an amazing job with her store.

We saw Reagan from the show and honestly were a bit disappointed. I never mentioned watching the show or even knowing she was Reagan, but she was not very nice.

It’s not that she was mean or unpleasant, but she seemed unhappy to be attending to customers.

They were having some issues with their Shopify and no one was able to pay with credit cards, so perhaps that was the reason for her attitude. Either way, I thought she’d be friendlier. 

All other staff members were very sweet and helpful, and made sure we had everything we wanted.

Back on the road

Driving through Tennessee was breathtaking. 

It was honestly the best part of the drive. IL was all corn fields, Georgia was just okay, FL was pretty but I was too anxious to get home already. Tennessee though, was phenomenal. 

We drove from Tennessee to Georgia and spent the night in Macon, a town just past Atlanta. 

The hotel was just off the highway, pet friendly, spacious, and had free breakfast. 

We left the next day just past 6AM and this time we were actually on a deadline because we had to make it to Miami by 5PM or else we wouldn’t get our keys. 

After a few potty breaks and paying $20 each on the tollway (wow FL your tolls are pricey!) we finally made it home! 

Our new home

Getting settled in has taken a few days. We needed quite a bit of furniture and between cooking, working, and organizing, we’ve been exhausted! 

We’re very excited and grateful for the opportunity to experience life in Miami. 

There’s been some tough days where I’ll randomly break down and cry about how much I miss Illinois, but I know we made the right decision moving to Miami. 

It’s a beautiful city with lots to do, and the weather is so much better! 

I can’t wait to explore South Florida and try out new restaurants, fitness studios, and everything it has to offer! 

If you live in Miami or have any Miami must-visit/experience please let me know in the comments below!