Moving

When I moved Charlie over to Melody Farm in June I knew it was only a temporary thing; there was another girl who had reserved the stall for August 1 but it would get us by in the meantime and by then Dan and I were hoping that at least one of us would have a new job. Both he and myself have been looking for new employment for awhile - I've had an on-again-off-again potential illustration job in KY that we keep waiting for the go ahead on - and so we figured something was bound to come through for one of us. Once that happened we could move Charlie closer to wherever we ended up, and that would be be the end of it. Plus, at that time August 1 seemed a million years away...

However now that date is looming right around the corner, my potential job is still up in the air, and Dan has had no luck even finding a part time job in this economy (not to mention RI is the worst place to look for a job right now). So although I love the people I work with and really like being around animals all the time, my current job as a Veterinary Client Service Team Lead is just not going to cut it long term. It's not in the field in which I was trained, they are in a lull at the moment where everyone's hours are being cut to accommodate a temporary decrease in the number of full-time doctors, and my salary can't adequately support the both of us and a horse. Without two incomes, or at least one bigger one, we really can't afford to move Charlie to a full board barn nearby either and I can't keep driving an hour to the barn and to work every day. 

We've been thinking for awhile that we'd both be better off moving back "south" to the eastern PA/NJ area in terms of jobs options. That area is a hub of biotech and pharma companies where Dan's biochem degree could really be useful, as could mine in medical illustration. We have a lot of family there too which is nice. In the meantime it also has many more opportunities for part time employment to tide one or both of us over until we find something real. So, all things considered, we've decided to pull the plug and say goodbye to the Ocean State and try our luck someplace new. 

Thank goodness I have some amazing friends to help us out. Next weekend my parents and our friend, Connie, are driving from PA to RI with a truck and trailer to pick up Charlie and bring him down to Connie's house. She has an open stall and has generously offered to keep my crazy horse as long as I need. It's just down the street from my parents, and though Dan and I plan to bunk with my grandmother for a little while, her house is only about 20 minutes away which isn't far at all. 

Dan and I will stay up here for another week or so to finish things out but I've given my two weeks at work so the balls have been set in motion. It's kind of scary taking this leap but we have a huge support network and even though we'll be technically jobless for a little while, it won't be much worse than the breaking even we're doing right now. 

I sure am going to miss Kate and Maddy, though....and, damn it, I just realized I'll have to find another farrier :(