Finally on the road...

So as many of you know, Nick and I were supposed to be on the road from Michigan to Portland starting on Monday. But many of you also know that didn't work out so well for us as we didn't get our car back from the shop until Thursday afternoon. All week we've been super frustrated and angry as our car had been in this shop for over 2 weeks (since the day we came home from our honey moon....due to hitting a large piece of metal) We were supposed to be in Seattle by this afternoon for our good friends wedding which we are now very sadly going to miss. But we are now officially on the road and still trying to make a stop in Seattle to see the newlyweds and some other wonderful friends! We left Grand Rapids around 7pm on Thursday with our little Kia (Pearl) completely packed full. We've now been on the road for just over 13 hours! I am proud to say I drove the first 9 hours and even let Nick sleep some!! We switched around 4 am and I got some sleep, waking up about 20 minutes ago to a beautiful sign welcoming us to North Dakota! If we continue to drive straight through we will reach Seattle around 3 am. Which seems kind of silly so I'm sure we will stop some.
We appreciate everyone's thoughts, prayers and best wishes! Thanks for reading =)

-Mrs. Stephens! (Hah...the joys of being a newlywed!)

Are We Crazy?

Hello! I am Abbie and I am recently married to a wonderful man named Nick. This blog will be a way for our friends and family to follow us as we make a big move from Michigan to Oregon!

So a little bit about us. 

Abbie is a graduate of Grand Valley State University and has a bachelor degree in social work. She has worked the past year as a health care coordinator and has found her passion in providing communicable disease education.

Nick is also a graduate of Grand Valley State University with a double bachelor degree in German and Philosophy.

Both Abbie and Nick have lived in Michigan all their lives. They were married on June 27, 2015 and have decided to make the move to Portland OR on July 20, 2015. They might be a little crazy.

Many of you have asked us why Portland. And the answer Abbie has given you is, grad school and simply it’s not West Michigan. The answer Nick will give you is because Abbie wants too pursue grad school there. But when we honestly get down to it, Portland was not in Abbie’s top locations for graduate school. But it was the top location for living. The most simple answer to “Why Portland?” It’s because we can. We are young newly wed couple in our mid-upper 20′s with no children and nothing holding us down. So why not Portland? Are we terrified of basically starting over? Yes. We leave in a week, neither of us have jobs and we still don’t have a place to live. But that is part of the adventure. This is our chance for something new, to minimalize everything in our lives…in fact whatever doesn’t fit in our lovely little Kia Soul…Pearl…is not coming with us! 

Many people have asked us if we think getting married and making a big move across country within just a month of each other is a good idea? Can I say it’s our best idea? Maybe not….. Do we feel very prepared for this move? Not really….Is it happening? HECK YES!  Do we think it’s going to be easy? NO WAY….We are both aware this is going to be very challenging for the both of us and for our relationship. But we are committed to our relationship and this adventure is part of it. We are aware there will be times we strongly…..strongly dislike each other…..that happens already, without throwing a new town, new home, new jobs, new friends….new everything in there. We are open to all advice, words of encouragement from all friends, family…strangers. But together we believe this move will be good for us, for our relationship. 

Throughout the journey we will both be posting about our adventure….exploring new things….finding jobs…a place to live, the struggles. (Lets be honest…Abbie will be doing majority of the posting =P ) 

So for now that is all…off to look an apartment once more =)