Hello, Louisville!

Well, it has been over 2 weeks since Mitchell and I have moved to Louisville, Kentucky and let's just say things have been a little busy! Whether we were scouting out the city with my parents (who graciously offered their time to help us move up here)...

Or checking out the Churchill Downs...

Bike riding through local parks (like Cherokee Park, a fave of ours right down the road)...

Or working on our new garden (Zucchini, cucumbers, carrots, squash, bell peppers, rosemary and basil--stoked!)...

...we have loved settling in to our new home. The transition has proven itself both easy and difficult at the same time--a paradox of sorts, but one I think most of you understand if you've ever experienced the transition into a new city.

It was easy getting everything unpacked and exciting to begin exploring this new place with my husband, but difficult once the pang of loneliness settled in...when I realized I didn't really have anyone to call to come tell me if the picture I hung was straight or the new curtain I picked out was okay. Yes, Mitchell was here, but there's something special about having a girl friend come over and exclaim their excitement about your new home and compliment every small detail you worked on ("Oh I LOVE how you covered your pantry with a curtain!" "No, you're right, those books look way better on that shelf than the other one...") that I deeply longed for.

Mitchell and I both realized quickly that though we love having one another around and do find comfort in each other's friendship, we had taken for granted having friends outside of our marriage to spend time with. It was kind of a surprise for Mitchell that he was experiencing the same feelings I was, I don't think he expected it as much as I did. But it is a sweet reminder as we settle into a new place that friendships and community are something absolutely worth investing in. It enriches our marriage when Mitchell has men in his life he can talk to, process through some of his thoughts, and do "man things" with, just as much as it does when I have those women in my life.

Community is a sweet gift from the Lord that we look forward to cultivating during our time here in Louisville as we remember "it is grace, nothing but grace, that we are allowed to live in community with Christian brethren." -Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together

What are some lessons you have learned within the first month of transition into a new city?