When my aunt first married her late husband, they initially lived nearby in a posh neighborhood in Oakland County, Michigan, until his job made a corporate move to Rockford, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. They lived there for about five years, and while there, they adopted my cousin Tommy. Yet, once again, the company he worked for relocated him to their Parma, Ohio office, within a suburb of Cleveland.
My uncle was happy to be there, as he grew up in Cleveland, and our family was happy as well because they were only a couple of hours’ drive away. While there, another cousin was born – Andrew. They lived with their two sons in Cleveland for five years, and my uncle’s company moved them again, but this time, back to Michigan, near my mom and me in Canton, a suburb outside of Detroit. However, this did not last long, as within a year, my uncle’s company relocated him to Griffin, Georgia – a suburb of Atlanta. My mom and I were sad to see them go!
They lived in Georgia for about three years, and while there, they adopted my three cousins: Kaley, Brandon, and Breanna. After which, you guessed it – they were relocated one more time and moved to Greensboro, North Carolina, where they raised their five children and stayed for more than twenty-five years.
Each time they were relocated, my uncle’s company paid for all of their moving expenses, sold their homes, and helped find their new homes to live in. Although the company he worked for didn’t relocate its office, only some employees, such as my uncle, did, there were still things they had to plan for and do.
According to We Work, they share some office relocation to-do list ideas and suggestions, “Businesses move offices for all kinds of reasons. Maybe your team is growing, and you need a bigger space to fit everyone comfortably, or perhaps you’re embracing a hybrid work model, and a smaller office makes more sense.
Whatever the reason, let’s face it — office moves can be stressful. From managing logistics to keeping everything organized, a proper plan is key to making the move as smooth as possible.
3 to 6 Months Before the Move
- Set a budget and timeline.
- Hire professional office movers.
- Design a new floor plan.
- Notify employees and stakeholders,”.
Unfortunately, my uncle passed away after a battle with cancer, and my aunt was widowed. She stayed in Greensboro for a while and tried to stay at their beach house in Emerald Isle, Outer Banks, North Carolina, but the memories of her husband were too much to bear.
A few years after my uncle’s passing, my aunt remarried and moved to Virginia with him, but very near to the North Carolina border so she could be close to her kids/my cousins.
What is the best lake to live on in Virginia?
Even though Smith Mountain Lake is widely considered the best lake to live on in Virginia, my aunt begs to differ because she lives on Lake Gaston and loves it there.
The State’s experts at the official travel and tourism website, Virginia is for Lovers, share that, “Straddling the border between Virginia and North Carolina, Lake Gaston is roughly 35 miles long, has about 350 miles of shoreline, and covers more than 20,000 acres with huge open waterways, making it popular for water skiing and other active watersports. Visitors to the region can get boating access at the lake’s public DGIF boat launch.
Permitted Water Sports:
- Swimming
- Motor Boating
- Sailing
- Fishing
- Water Skiing/Wake Boarding
- Jet Skiing
- Paddleboarding
- Kayaking/Canoeing,”.
The same Virginia website shares these top ten lakes in Virginia:
- “Smith Mountain Lake—Bedford, Franklin, and Pittsylvania
- Lake Gaston—Bracey
- Lake Anna—Louisa
- Philpott Lake—Franklin, Henry, and Patrick
- Buggs Island/John H. Kerr Reservoir—Clarksville
- Sherando Lake—Lyndhurst
- Claytor Lake—Dublin
- Hungry Mother Lake—Marion
- Lake Fairfax—Reston
- Douthat Lake—Millboro,”.
Although it does look beautiful, and I will visit sometime soon, I adore residing in the Lakes Area of Oakland County, Michigan, with lake life at its finest, and do not plan on moving in this lifetime.
Is Michigan a good place to live
As we established above, Virginia does have amazing lakes for recreation and boating. In fact, I would love to rent a home, bring my son’s Four Winns fish and ski boat, do some boating, and spend time meeting up with family on Lake Gaston.
However, I do not have to travel out of the Mitten State, as some of the best inland lakes to boat or live on, in my opinion, are Torch Lake, Higgins Lake, Silver Lake, Lake St. Claire, Hamlin Lake, and countless other smaller inland lakes located closer to where I have lived in Southeast Michigan, such as the following, but not limited to:
- Union Lake
- Oxbow Lake
- Orchard Lake
- Wolverine Lake
- Pontiac Lake
- Lower Straights
- Cooley Lake
- Big Portage
- Zukey Lake
One of my favorite spots that I have explored in Northern Michigan (aka Up North) was the Michigan Inland Waterway. It is a 40-mile boatable chain with Indian River connecting Mullett Lake and Burt Lake, which then feeds into the Cheboygan River, leading out to Lake Huron. My ex-husband’s Uncle Cass lived on Indian River with a Boston Whaler, the perfect boat to take this trip on.
Living in Michigan is not just wonderful in the summer for boating, camping, and outdoor activities – fall is a great time as well, but it’s a little chilly to swim in any of the Great Lakes. Honestly, our winters are not that bad considering in recent years, the bitter cold months are only in:
- December
- January
- February
Even then, December hardly sees significant snowfall anymore. In fact, I cannot remember the last time we had a “White Christmas”. Fall is also my favorite time of year in Michigan as we continue to have warm weather, and I haven’t seen snow on Halloween in more than a decade. Shoot, I haven’t put the heat on until November in recent years!
Come March, we start to get those teaser days with temperatures rising to sixty, sometimes seventy degrees. Sure, “Sometimes it Snows in April,” but not lately, and by the time May rolls around, it’s full-on warm weather again!
Office relocation to do list
In conclusion, every move, whether corporate or personal, works best with thoughtful planning, trusted help, and a destination that truly feels like home.
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