I want to move.....

I just arrived home after our great vacation and will post lots of pics and stories later today, but I have something on my mind and needed to blog about it. :)

I LOVE my house here in Urbana, IL and I love the friends my sons have here in the neighborhood. I also love the downtown and living in a very light urban neighborhood. But, I really, really miss having friends. I've lived here in Illinois for 8 years and have made only 1 good friend since I've been here. She moved 18 months ago. :( It was one of those perfect scenarios where she lived across the street with her husband and Jimmy and her husband got along great too. I have made a couple of acquaintances since moving here, but really no close friends. It is not for lack of trying, but I find that this area is one where if you are not born and raised here, or are not a part of the university professor club, you really have no chance of making longtime connections. Lately, I realize I really NEED that female connection with friends. I want to live in the kind of neighborhood where everyone knows their neighbors and people look out for each other. Where neighbors do things together.

I found that neighborhood 18 months ago.....and Jimmy and I even went and visited it. It is a downtown neighborhood in Jacksonville, FL called Springfield. I discovered it when I was looking at locations where Jimmy's company has facilities. We have been there twice. Once with the boys and once with just Jimmy and I. I actually made connections with several people (other stay at home moms) living in the neighborhood. We talked on the phone, emailed, and I was a part of the neighborhood forum. Let me give you some information on Springfield. It is a neighborhood just north of downtown Jacksonville. It was a blighted neighborhood until the late 90's. It was overrun with drugs, prostitution and shootings. But, it had beautiful, huge homes. So, some brave souls moved in and started refurbishing the homes and reclaiming the neighborhood. It was really tough for the first ones to move to Springfield. Slowly but surely the crime went down and a neighborhood was born. Now, the residents of Springfield still fight crime (it is, after all, a downtown neighborhood) but spend more time at block parties, traveling cocktail parties, old-time baseball games, growing a community garden, beautifying the huge parks surrounding the neighborhood and looking out for each other. :) This is exactly what I want in a neighborhood. Not to mention, the beach is very close. :) Oh.....here is maybe one of the best parts, Jimmy would work only about 5 miles from the neighborhood! Almost always, we can not live anywhere close to Jimmy's work because chemical plants and refineries are generally built in really undesirable places. Jimmy has always had to commute almost 45 minutes to work.

So...I want to move to Springfield in Jacksonville, FL. Wether that will happen or not, I'm not sure. Part of me is worried about moving the kids because they are very happy here. But, I need something more than what Urbana, IL has to offer. So, I keep waiting and hoping that an opportunity might present itself in the future. :)

Here is a cool website about Springfield if you care to have a look. :)

http://www.myspringfield.org/

http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2008-apr-a-springfield-photo-tour