Where do I began?

My move to Minnesota was peak trust your gut moment, test, or whatever you want to call it.

Backstory

I met my current partner on Facebook Date (think Meta’s answer to Tinder). I was living in Chicago at the time. I was dating several guys at the time & wasn’t looking for anything serious. A cute guy from Minnesota messaged me. I did not take it serious because my history with long distance relationships sucks. Little did I know this would be a game changer for the better🤭🤪🙌🏿

Distance Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

We started texting back & forth. Mind you, I’m still not taking this seriously. The chances of this being successful was slim. The text turned into a phone call. The first phone call was an hour. Im thinking this was a wild fluke. This will eventually cool down.

It didn’t.

The next phone call was 1 1/2 hours long. After months of talking, it was time to meet in person. My instincts told me this had potential.

I Knew It Was Right By Second Night ❤️🥰❤️🥰

Nervousness was an understatement. I was literally about to 💩💩 my pants. I’m driving to O’hare thinking “what the hell am I thinking!”. We met at Terminal 5 Arrivals (yes, I remember the small details). We met & hugged. At that moment, all my anxiety went away. The long drive back to the South Side felt short & sweet because of the great intellectual conversations that were had.

The first in-person date night with my partner was spent at a sushi shop on 53rd Street in Hyde Park, the Chicago neighborhood I lived in at the time. We talked & held hands. The second night is when the magic began. We talked on my couch for hours. At this moment, we knew this wasn’t going to be a short fling.

The Trust My Gut Test 🫤🤢

Let’s fast forward one year. All is good. I met his friends & family. He’s met mine. The thing is the commute between Chicago & Minneapolis is taxing. Also, my partner has dropped subtle hints that hour long conversations aren’t bringing us any closer. The relationship had peaked. I knew in my heart this was a long term thing. Without thinking, I told him let’s move in together.

Moving away from Chicago, my friends, my family, and everything familiar was terrifying.
But every instinct I had told me it was the right decision.

Fairy-Tale Ending?

Sometimes your gut isn’t loud. It doesn’t shout or demand your attention—it just nudges you in the right direction when everything else feels uncertain. Looking back, that quiet voice led me to a life I never could’ve planned but wouldn’t trade for anything. One thing I’ve learned, it’s this: listen when your gut speaks. It might be guiding you exactly where you’re meant to go.