As if life wasn't hectic enough, I have some major news to share with ya'll! And yes, I'm going to start saying ya'll all the time now because I'm headed a little bit south! I mentioned in my last post of February that my Husband James has been living in Oklahoma attending Air Traffic Control school since October. Well, the exciting news is that he PASSED with flying colors and is officially an ATC Employee. WOO HOO! So proud of that man.

But what does this mean for us? Well, it means that we're packing up our bags and headed to good ole' Kansas City for a new life adventure. I have been keeping this private for some time given all the various cookie jars my hands are constantly in, but I couldn't be more excited for the new journey ahead. With that said, I'm definitely going to miss my family and friends in Minnesota, but I know that we're not going to be more than a 6.5 hour road trip away which gives me a happy heart. We're selling our house and going to do apartment living for a while until we get settled and figure out where exactly we want to live. (any advice you have on the area - please send my way or comment below!). I'll be sharing so much more about this journey as it begins to unfold even more soon! 

Now, to give you some deeper background, I think this is a good time to share with you about my life --- I have felt like a nomad most all my years. Moving became so normal for me that I would often not even completely unpack my room before we had to up and move again. I had officially moved 22 times before the age of 16 since my parents were both ministers and we would be asked to move constantly to go help out different church regions. I was born in New Jersey (Hackensack baby!) and moved a few times with my parents on the East Coast before officially relocating to Northern California (Marin County) when I was 4. Once I turned school age, that's when things got tough. We moved up and down the Bay Area coast between when I was 4-14 years old; sometimes I would even need to change schools twice in one year! Finally, in High School, my family decided to move to San Diego and start a new career path and get out of the chaos that our life constantly was. San Diego was a blessing. I got to stay at the same High School for more than a year and I actually made friends that stuck! Not to mention I could actually get involved with school.

My family was trying to make ends meet after so many years of California living, but it became clear that the lifestyle was just too hard to try and make work forever financially. That's when my Dad made the motion to move us all to his home state of Minnesota. He thought it would be the perfect time to bring us all together and also have a chance to know my larger family there. I'm thankful to the Lord above for this move. In a way it defined me. 

Minnesota gave me my husband, Minnesota gave me a sense of community and the greatest group of friends I could have ever imagined, Minnesota gave me opportunity and chances to flourish in my creative ways with my music, my blog and other talents, Minnesota defined my professional career and set me on a path to succeed in anything next that comes my way, Minnesota has become my home. And that's a word I never really understood until now. Thank you, Minnesota. Thank you for everything you've given me and everything I know I will become because of you. 

XOXO, Sarah Riley Rose

Cheetah coat: Forever 21 (similar, similar, similar) // Boots: Steve Madden // Pinstripe Top: Banana Republic (similar, similar, similar) // Sunnies: Tommy Hilfiger

Photos by Lindsay Marcus