Back for six months and counting, Boomerang Sara Beth Verm chatted with us about living life back in Greensboro.
How have things changed for you/your family since your return?
Many things have changed for both me and my family. I moved away when I was a 20-something young adult and now I’m a 40-something wife and mom of 4 kids. I see everything differently now.
We uprooted our children from the only home they’d known and left my husband’s hometown of Houston, TX after 16 years there to return to my hometown of Greensboro. We lived in a busy urban setting and have moved to what feels like the country. We went from freeways everywhere and multiple loops to 2-lane roads and just the right amount of highways, plus a new efficient loop. The airport in Houston was a 45-minute drive, whereas we now live 7 minutes from the airport. Instead of city lights, now we see stars at night and use our bright headlights, which literally never happened in a mega metropolis.
Experiencing all four seasons is also new for us. The changing fall colors and beautiful leaves were more brilliant than I remember. It all felt new and my kids were in awe. We enjoyed snow days for the first time with sledding, building snowmen and shoveling the driveway.
How have they remained the same?
Greensboro remains a family-friendly, easy to navigate city. It has everything I need and want.
The people are quite possibly the best part of coming home to Greensboro. We’re making time for friends who’ve known me all my life, re-connecting with high school and college friends, and picking up where we left off with folks who we’ve never stopped loving but just couldn’t see as often due to long distances. Having depth and history with even just a few people already feels like a gift. Plus, we’re making lots of new friends! Everyone is welcoming and friendly.
What is one of your favorite new discoveries?
The Tanger Center is new and I was grateful for an opportunity to attend Wicked. Very impressive facility!
Any advice for people considering a move back?
We were intimidated by the current housing market and had no idea how we’d ever find the right home for our family. But after one weekend of house hunting with our realtor, I narrowed things down, and when the right house became available, we were ready to offer our best bid and could move quickly. We did everything remotely until move-in day, so it was a huge leap of faith. But because I knew the schools, the neighborhood and the area, it was a risk that felt comfortable enough.
It was much easier than I could have imagined to settle back in and reintegrate, even after 23 years away. Greensboro is a modern city with a laid-back feel, and anyone can find their place here.
