A “Thank You” Letter to Our Chicago Condo

Shay, Gatsby, and I are moving to Nashville, Tennessee in 10 days. 

I’ve been trying to figure out how to write about this… I originally wanted the title of this blog post to be “New Year, New Zip Code” - where I would excitedly share about our Nashville story and how we decided to leave Chicago.

It’s been a three year journey, full of little details and a few plot twists. There’s so much I could talk about, but I had a nagging feeling I wasn’t supposed to share any of it. All anyone needs to know is we’ve been praying about this for a long time, and it’s finally happening!

We’re excited and we’re nervous. We’re grateful and we’re overwhelmed. We’re feeling all of the human emotions rolled up into one big mess.

I’ve been busy making lists, packing, and letting my mind wander thinking about paint colors and furniture layouts. By focusing on the new, exciting things, I hadn’t allowed myself to fully grieve what we are leaving behind.

Before I can share about our new home in our new neighborhood in Nashville, I need to say a proper goodbye to our current one. In order to say goodbye and get the closure I need - I decided to write a “thank you” letter to our Chicago condo.

Below is a shortened, edited version for public consumption: 

Dear Orchard Condo,

You have given us nine incredible years.

Thank you!

Aside from my childhood home, this is the longest amount of time I’ve lived in one place. And while this is the second place Shay and I have lived in together - it’s the first to truly feel like home for the both of us.

We learned a lot while living under this roof, like how we could go months without driving a car, how we only need to buy enough groceries to fit in two bags (one for each hand), and how truly valuable every inch of outdoor space is.

It was here where we learned the meaning of hospitality, and how we don’t need a lot of square footage to host. All we need is a door that opens, an extra seat at the table, and spare blankets in case people want to spend the night (or stay a while).

This home has been a “church” for many people over the years. We hosted several small group meetings, providing space for deep discussions about faith, life, hope, and loss. Many prayers have been prayed inside these walls, some answered, and some still in the waiting.

We welcomed our first fur pup into this space. The day we brought Gatsby home from the shelter, he was so nervous - he wouldn’t even walk down the hallway to the master bedroom. Eventually, we showed him it wasn’t so scary. In fact, the long hallway would become a place for playing his favorite games - chasing toys and running / sliding on the rug - using it as a magic carpet ride.

Shay and I grew individually and together in this home. We lost friendships and relationships, and gained new ones. We’ve shed tears, celebrated, had some of our worst arguments, and some of our best make-ups. It’s true what they say about the “seven year itch”... I don’t need to go into detail - you were there for all of it, and provided us comfort when we needed it.

We’re grateful to hang onto you, even as we transition into a new home. We’re prayerful for the renters who will move in and call this place their own. While we don’t know what the future holds, we dream of one day living here again - perhaps in our old age. Until then, please care for the souls who come into this space and bless them as you did for us.

Thank you.

With love,

Becky