When we decided to move from Chicago to Texas, I knew there would be an adjustment period.

I expected to miss my favorite restaurants (MOONWALKERS, IMY). I expected to get lost, learn new roads, and figure out a new city.

What I didn’t expect was to miss something I’d never really noticed before.

Familiarity. EXPERIENCE. KNOWING ALL THE TINGZ.

Back in Chicago, I knew everything without thinking. Which grocery store carried what I liked, where to grab coffee, the fastest route home. All those little things that come from spending your entire life somewhere.

None of it felt special. It just made life easy.

Comfort has a funny way of being quiet. You don’t notice it until it’s gone.

Moving to Texas has genuinely been one of the best decisions we’ve made. Our girls are thriving, we’re making incredible memories, and I believe we’re exactly where we’re supposed to be.

But some days? I’m tired of everything being new. Like fuckkkkkkkk.

Every restaurant requires research. Every outing comes with uncertainty. And listen, I love an adventure, but sometimes I just want to KNOW THE TINGZ.

I’ve always been one to celebrate fresh starts and big moves, as they should. But I’ve never really talked about losing the quiet confidence that comes from simply knowing.

And somewhere in all this unfamiliarity, I’ve realized that confidence isn’t necessarily knowing what you’re doing. Sometimes it’s trusting myself enough to know, I will in fact figure it out.

And the most important parts of my life haven’t changed. My husband is still the person I tell every random thought to. My girls still crack me tf up. Bellini is still Bellini-ing. Dinner still ends with everyone talking over each other and slightly moody. 5PM in the Molina household is too close to end of day for any of us to pretend we have any patience left.

We didn’t leave our life behind in Chicago. We brought it with us.

Recently, I went back to Chicago with Ayana for a funeral. We stopped at Moonwalkers, saw Luna, grabbed coffee and snacks, and took a stroll. Everything felt so familiar. I could see it in Ayana’s eyes, too.

We talked about missing Chicago and how different everything feels now.

But afterward, I reminded her (and myself, lmao) that none of those familiar things existed overnight either.

They were built.

One grocery trip. One dinner out. One Saturday morning. One family tradition. One regular degular day at a time.

Familiarity isn’t something you find. It’s something you create.

And maybe that’s what this season is teaching me. Growth isn’t always some big, exciting thing. Sometimes it’s learning to be comfortable with not knowing while appreciating everything that came before.

I can miss Chicago without regretting Texas. I can love where we are and still miss the ease of where we’ve been.

And one day, without even realizing it, Texas won’t feel new anymore.

It’ll just feel like home.

Until we’re ready for the next chapter.

Anyway, this may have been all over the place, but idc. Just enjoy it for what it is. 😂