In 2010 I accepted a position with one of the greatest Italian car companies in southeast Michigan. I was at a point where if I stayed, I was going to develop some serious stress related health problems due to my department's management. We were happy living in Michigan but I needed a change. That change came in a job offer that took me to the northeast, even though I never had any desire to move that direction.
In 2015 I moved to Pleasant Mount PA, northeast of Scranton. The new job had its headaches but was a pretty good gig. I spend a lot of time in Philly, Connecticut, Albany, Vermont and grew to hate New Jersey just like everybody else.
This spring I got a promotion that gave me the opportunity to move back to Michigan. The last few months have been crazy but the move is over. The closing for the PA house was on Friday so we are D-U-N...Done. We bought a place southwest of Ann Arbor. The most important thing is it came with a 30x40 unfinished shop as well as a regular 2 car garage. I brought all the project cars (82 E100, 76 Disco'Stang, 76 CJ5, Civic Chumpcar) because I am dumb.
There are things I will miss about the northeast. Living where the Poconos and Catskills met meant the roads were awesome for driving and sightseeing. The ability to get an amazing sandwich pretty much anywhere is something people in the midwest don't understand (I didn't). Oh, and bagels...I never knew what a bagel was supposed to be.
Im not going to miss crossing the George Washington in midday, or dealing with the PA DMV and state inspections. Hopefully I never have to hear someone from New Jersey give the speech about how New Jersey is actually 3 states and they are from north-central-south NJ which is totally different than north-central-south NJ. Its like the schools require that lecture for graduation or something 
I will also not miss the NY Highway Patrol that makes the Ohio Highway Patrol look reasonable. I once got a ticket for 59 in a 55 on a state route outside Peru NY.
I grew up in Texas and have lived in West Virginia, Ohio, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. I realized Michigan sorta felt like a second home when people would talk smack about Michigan and I would defend it. Wanna trash Ohio? Let me join in! I've already met more of my neighbors in 6 weeks here than I did in 7 years in PA.
While it may seem like a coincidence, the talk of the promotion and moving started right around the time Dr Boost was moving from Michigan to Florida. I like to think that was a little cosmic perk for me!
Yesterday we took a small break from unpacking and organizing to do a little Michivanning. First time I've got to drive the van since roadtripping it out in May.
The site of our first 2 crapcan races-
