• We found a lovely community to retire to that was a short drive from the beach and fit our budget.
• We thought this was the perfect place for our next step, but three years later, we've had enough.
• While we love our community and lower cost of living, homesickness has us ready to leave.

We'd always dreamt of owning a beach home for family vacations and weekend getaways, but our budget and the kids' constantly packed schedules never made it possible.

Then, many years later, as we edged toward retirement and the kids were out of the house, we put the idea back on the table and bought a lovely home in Delaware just a 10 to 20-minute drive from a string of pristine beaches.

The house is in a newly built development dotted with duck-filled ponds and a quick drive to the heart of a quaint historic village filled with restaurants, live music venues, and a sprinkling of art galleries.

My husband spends hours casting off the coastline for striped bass and bluefish, and our neighbors, many newly retired like us, are welcoming and down-to-earth.

Moving here is one of the best decisions we've ever made, but three years in, we're planning our exit.

We moved from New Jersey

Before Delaware, we'd lived in the same house in the same suburban New Jersey town for more than 15 years.

However, during that time, we'd always felt on the periphery of the social scene, rarely got dinner invites, and found it difficult to make friends.

We both had good jobs and lived a middle-class life, but our roots were blue-collar. My husband was the only person we knew in the area who had not graduated from college.

We longed for a change, a fuller calendar, and a respite from nagging loneliness.

We weren't the beach lovers we thought we were

Delaware's dramatically lower property taxes and more affordable real estate meant less strain on our budget.

We also purchased a newer home, which meant spending less time and money on the endless repairs our 94-year-old colonial in NJ demanded.

Despite the benefits, homesickness has been impossible to shake.

We miss living a short 20 to 30-minute drive from our family who are still in Jersey. And while the small village we live near is nice, it's just that — small.

We prefer being closer to the hustle and bustle of New York City with its diverse neighborhoods, major museums, and vibrant theater and music scenes, all of which we frequented often while in New Jersey.

We've also realized we weren't the beach lovers we thought we were. Going to the beach had once been a treat. Now, we easily take it for granted, which makes it less special.

Plus, traffic jams and packed beaches in season make getting there a headache and a sweaty nailbiter, with parking lots at capacity by 8:30 a.m.

The noise, the grind of cars, and the lines snaking out of seemingly every coffee bar and lunch spot conspire to make a summer day about as relaxing as a full-throttle city commute.

We also miss our hikes through the small mountain range that was minutes away from our NJ house. The flat, bleached terrain without a hill in sight just isn't the same.

To get that outdoorsy experience now, we must drive 90 minutes north, on a dismal, nerve-jangling highway.

We feel like part of a community here, which has been the greatest gift

Welcome mats for pickleball teams, girls' nights, potlucks, and a dizzying number of groups and clubs have made it easy to build friendships both casual and close.

Unfortunately, we are too homesick for the area we left to feel truly relaxed. It is as if we are at a terrific party — great to be invited, but not to stay indefinitely.

The gift of these friendships has given us a sense of belonging that had always been just out of reach in our old neighborhood, and, importantly, a social confidence and insight that will help us choose our next community wisely.

Our turnabout has surprised us, but aging has brought into focus how we want to spend our time, and where. And that's nearer to the convenience and culture of a major city, steeped in a diverse community, surrounded by varied terrain, and closer to family.

We have learned that retirement decisions can't always be about money. Sometimes they need to be driven by what enriches the soul.

The draft is three weeks away now. GM Ryan Poles and head coach Ben Johnson have pieced together an off-season that is earning widespread praise across the league. The question is whether they can stick the landing with their 1st round pick in the draft. Current projections have the top three picks likely being a mix of Cam Ward, Travis Hunter, and Abdul Carter. After that, it gets tricky. People in Chicago want to know where running back Ashton Jeanty will end once the dust settles.

Widespread belief has been that the Las Vegas Raiders are the heavy favorites to take him at 6th overall, with New Orleans at #9 also being a possibility. It makes sense. Las Vegas’ best option right now is a 33-year-old Raheem Mostert. New Orleans knows Alvin Kamara turns 30 in July. Both teams need to think about the future at that position. Both have head coaches who like to run the ball. One thing is clear. A source told SM that those around the league believe one thing is certain.

“He likely won’t get passed Chicago if he falls that far.”

Ashton Jeanty is a strong probability for the Bears.

Whispers from Halas Hall indicate they love the Boise State star. It isn’t hard to see why. He nearly broke Barry Sanders’ single-season rushing record in 2024, nearly winning the Heisman in the process. The guy carried his team to the college football playoffs. He’s built like a brick house with power, speed, contact balance, and vision. There aren’t any truly glaring weaknesses in his game. He’s earned comparisons to the likes of LaDainian Tomlinson and Marshawn Lynch. The Bears haven’t had a back of that caliber since Matt Forte.

Try to imagine what this offense could look like with Ashton Jeanty, Rome Odunze, D.J. Moore, and Cole Kmet all as options for quarterback Caleb Williams. Throw all of it into Johnson’s offense, and you can understand why some people around the league aren’t wild about the idea. They are quietly hoping Jeanty goes somewhere else. One thing is certain. If he gets past the Raiders, the noise will get loud in a hurry. It would mark the first time in 20 years the Bears have taken a running back in the 1st round.