Life Update!

We moved to Scottsdale!

It’s official—we’ve moved to Arizona! After 22 years in Chicago (and countless winters that made me question my life choices), it was time for a change. I’ve lived all over the city: started in East Lakeview, then moved to the Southport Corridor, Bucktown, and eventually landed in Logan Square. But the past few years, especially since I discovered Aruba, made me realize I wasn’t happy in Chicago anymore—I was craving better weather year-round!

For the past year, my boyfriend and I have been debating where to move. At first, we considered the East Coast, but honestly, neither of us has spent much time there. Plus, no offense to Florida fans, but I’m just not into it—gators, snakes, humidity, hurricanes… it’s a hard pass for me! 😂

Arizona came into play because I’ve been visiting since I was a kid—family trips to Phoenix where my aunt and uncle lived. In the past decade, my parents became snowbirds, eventually buying a home in Scottsdale. So, I pitched the idea to my boyfriend, and we talked a lot about the weather, outdoor activities, and—of course—good restaurants (because priorities!). Scottsdale/Phoenix checked all the boxes: awesome food, year-round outdoor fun, hiking, walking paths, and easy access to Sedona, Flagstaff, and even CA for a beach fix. Plus, it’s closer to family—my mom spends part of the year here, and my boyfriend’s family is in Texas and Oklahoma, so it’s a win-win.

Views from the Greenbelt walking path of Camelback mountain!

The Move: Selling, Shipping, and Saying Goodbye

First things first: I sold my place in Chicago! It felt surreal, but exciting. Once that was settled, the logistics of moving across the country kicked in. Moving isn’t cheap, but I found some decent hacks to save where I could.

For my car, I used Sherpa Auto Transport to ship it across the country. They charged $1,250 plus an extra $100 because it was overweight (you get 100 lbs extra, and trust me, I packed it to the max!). I met the driver, Ian, about two blocks from my place in Chicago, near that crazy 6-way intersection at Diversey/Western/Elston. We took videos of the exterior, I took a pic of his driver’s license (you can never be too careful), and off he went. I threw an AirTag in the car to track it, and within a couple of days, it arrived in Scottsdale. The driver parked it in the driveway, left the keys under the mat, and boom—done! The whole process was super smooth, and I’d absolutely use them again.

Now for the rest of our stuff—I got some wild quotes from moving companies (one PODS quote came in at $15K, and I was like, “Sir, my stuff isn’t even worth that much!”). After some TikTok research, I found U-Haul Pods. I ended up using two, and it cost me around $1,700. We sold or gave away a ton of furniture—like my couch, dining table, chairs, bar stools, and more—so it was mostly boxes and smaller furniture. We hired two awesome guys from TaskRabbit who knew exactly how to pack the PODS like Tetris masters. They filled every inch of space, and I had to ditch a few things at the end (RIP to some random items), but we made it work! They picked up the PODS two days later, and shipped them off to Scottsdale, where they arrived four days earlier than expected. They’re now in storage for $200/month, which is super reasonable, and I even got a month free!

Settling into Scottsdale… for Now

We’ve been in Scottsdale for about a week and a half now, staying in a temporary spot for two weeks before heading back to Aruba. So far, so good! The weather’s gorgeous, and we’ve been exploring a bit, but the real excitement kicks off when we return to Aruba from September 29 to December 15. I can’t wait to gather more content for the blog/social media, try new places, and revisit some of our favorite spots!

Views from the greenbelt walking path!

What’s Next?

When we’re back in the States in December, we’ll do the family holiday rounds and then figure out our next move in Scottsdale. Originally, we thought about Airbnb-ing for a few months to check out different neighborhoods, but… wow. Scottsdale is crazy expensive from January to April (like $5k on the low end to 15K+ a month, haha!). With the Waste Management golf tournament, baseball spring training, and perfect weather, everyone wants to be here, so prices skyrocket. We might end up heading back to Aruba for some of that time—it could actually be more affordable!

In the meantime, what are you most excited to hear about when we’re back in Aruba? Any specific restaurants, bars, tours, or nightlife you want me to check out? Drop your ideas below—I’d love to hear them!

Views from Palm Beach at Divi Phoenix!