A Journey from Chicago to Ohio and Back
Moving from a bustling city like Chicago to a smaller town in Ohio was something we believed would be the natural next step in our lives. We thought that moving from the city to the suburbs was the way to raise a family, live comfortably, and achieve happiness. However, what we didn’t realize at the time was how much we would miss the energy, support system, and sense of community that Chicago had given us.
We made the decision to move to Ohio because we believed it was the right choice for our growing family. At the time, I was pregnant with our first child, and Ohio offered more space, a lower cost of living, and being closer to family. But what we hadn’t considered was how much we would miss the city life we had come to love.
The Early Days in Chicago
Before moving to Ohio, I had never planned to live in Chicago. I grew up in Maryland and had always envisioned my life elsewhere. However, after two years of long-distance dating, I moved to Chicago in the summer of 2013 for a new job and to be closer to my now-husband, Jeff.
At first, I hated Chicago. I missed home, my family and friends, crab cakes, and the simple joy of getting peanuts from Lexington Market before Orioles games. But over time, I began to fall in love with the city. Through networking events, I found a group of ambitious millennial women who shared similar interests. There were always date nights—Black futurism-inspired events at the planetarium, Adult Nights’ Out at Lincoln Park Zoo, and endless festivals during the summer.
The Decision to Move
When it came time to consider having kids, we assumed moving to the suburbs was the logical choice. Without either of our families nearby, we thought we needed to move closer to Ohio or Maryland. After all, it seemed like the natural order of life: go from the city to the suburbs to raise your family and live happily ever after.
After two egg retrievals and four embryo transfers, we finally got pregnant in February 2021. This kicked off our plan to move to Ohio. In May, we visited Columbus to look at neighborhoods. I had some second thoughts, especially given the political climate at the time, but it was too late to change course. Our Chicago condo was already on the market, and contracts had been signed.
Struggles in Ohio
The day we packed up the U-Haul and started toward Ohio, I felt regret creeping in, but there was no going back. We moved in with my in-laws in Northeast Ohio while we searched for a home in Columbus.
Columbus wasn’t what I expected. It felt more suburban than I had imagined. Living in Chicago, I had become used to the city’s walkability. However, the more walkable neighborhoods near Columbus were out of our price range, and each showing left me feeling more jaded.
With a C-section scheduled for mid-October, we decided to halt our home search after Labor Day. It wasn’t what I had envisioned—bringing our newborn to my husband’s childhood home. Yet, there we were.
The Emotional Toll
Afterward, I referred to this period as a three-layer depression cake: depression over leaving Chicago, prenatal depression that eventually turned into postpartum depression, and seasonal depression as the days grew shorter and darker in Northeast Ohio.
Jeff had four months of parental leave, but once that ended, he had to commute to Columbus three days a week. I felt trapped. The sidewalks in my in-laws’ neighborhood were limited, so taking the baby for a walk longer than 10 minutes was impossible. We only had one car, so I couldn’t drive to a park when my husband was working, and I felt anxious about driving alone with the baby.
I was sleep-deprived, could barely tell one day from the next, and no longer recognized myself. One night, during a 2 a.m. feeding session, I seriously considered driving to either Maryland or Chicago. I didn’t go through with it.
Returning to Chicago
After about five months in Ohio and several arguments, I finally admitted to Jeff that I had regrets about moving. He agreed, and in March 2022, we returned to Chicago.
We found a condo in Evanston, just north of our old neighborhood of Rogers Park. We knew it was a good place to raise a family. It offered the best of both worlds—big city amenities with a small town vibe and proximity to downtown.
Now, I can take the baby for walks around the neighborhood, and we’re within walking distance to coffee shops and yoga studios.
Would I have experienced prenatal or postpartum depression if we stayed in Chicago? I don’t know. We’ve also thought about whether we’ll need to move closer to family if we have another child.
For now, we’re happy in Evanston. Not only are we back with the friends we made before, but we’ve also built a community with other young Black families.
Only time will tell where life leads us, but if we end up settling down here, I’m absolutely fine with that.
