Moving to New England: The Unexpected ROI of a Big Family Relo
We spend a lot of time calculating the ROI of big life changes. When we made the long-distance move from Texas to Rhode Island, the ledger was filled with the usual anxieties. How would the kids adjust to a new school? Would they make friends? What is the cultural shift from Texas to the Northeast going to feel like?
We focused all our energy on mitigating the impact on the humans. We completely forgot about the dog.
It turns out, our black Lab was the one who needed this family relocation the most.
Lately, it feels like everyone that comes to visit and knows Hux from Texas says the same thing: "He’s like a new dog." And they’re right. He’s thriving in ways we never anticipated.
Right now, we’re in the absolute sweet spot of his favorite season: New England beach weather. In Texas, summer meant escaping the oppressive heat indoors. Here, active dog ownership means daily trips to the beach or a boat launch, where he can throw himself into the ocean, and chase down a tennis ball until he's completely spent. It is the ultimate Hux-friendly lifestyle.
Even his indoor routine got a major upgrade. Our home layout here features front-facing windows that look right out onto the neighborhood - a feature we didn't have in TX (see above: afternoon heat). That simple architectural difference keeps him active and engaged all day long, taking his self-appointed role of policing the street very seriously.
But the best part of this geographic shift is the ripple effect on our family dynamic. Because he’s more active and energized, it’s fundamentally transformed his relationship with our boys. The kids are feeding off his energy, spending more time playing outside, and building a bond that just wasn't the same before.
Embracing change is good. When planning change, we focus so much on predicting the risks that we forget to account for the unintended benefits waiting on the other side.
Embracing change is good. When planning a big move, we focus so much on predicting the risks that we forget to account for the unintended benefits waiting on the other side.
It’s the same story in business. If you’re sitting on the fence, thinking about upgrading your sales team or shifting your revenue motion, you already know you need to make a move. The roadblock is usually just not knowing where to start. That’s where I come in. Stop overthinking the variables you can't control - the rewards are worth it. Just do it.