We moved across the US for a job. It wasn't what we expected.

Business Insider · Stacie Jaynes · 2026-11-06 10:31 UTC

We moved from New Mexico to Virginia for my husband's dream job. I wanted to support him, but I realized I wasn't happy where we moved.

"I don't want to do this," I wailed, sitting on the couch of the vacation rental.

We were in Greenbackville, a small town of less than 500 people in coastal Virginia. I was jet-lagged and exhausted from bedtime with my 5-year-old. We had been woken up every morning by gunshots from hunting season. As I sobbed, my husband sat next to me and held my hand. He let me cry.

We'd lived in Albuquerque, New Mexico, 2,000 miles west, in the other direction, for over seven years in our ideal southwest home. I had finally found friends, restaurants, rhythms of the seasons, schools, and playdates.

Read the full story at Business Insider · All coverage of this story