"What if it's even better there?" That was a question posed to me when I was perseverating about moving from Chicago to Charleston. It was 2023. We'd lived in Chicago for 18 years and raised our kids there. They had been in the same school since they were three years old. Our youngest son was going to be a junior in high school - not an easy time to move. My family, and all of our friends who had become family were in Illinois. I couldn't imagine that leaving our home and moving anywhere would be better.

But my thinking started to change when I first saw I'On. I didn't know how to describe the neighborhood except that it felt like going back in time. It felt warm and safe and idyllic. I loved the restaurants with string lights at the neighborhood's entrance, the huge oak trees dripping with Spanish moss throughout I'on and along Mathis Ferry, and the American flags dotting the streets. Two other things stood out to me: the corner home with the KU flag (my alma mater) and Jake's Lane. Our oldest son, Jake, was about to start his freshman year at UNC Chapel Hill. In fact, he would move to Chapel Hill just three weeks after we arrived in I'on. I saw that street sign as "a sign." 

We moved in on July 19, 2023, and it didn't take long for I'on to start to feel like home (albeit about 40 degrees hotter and  infinitely more humid.) The neighborhood and neighbors on our street were instantly welcoming, and we started meeting people on day one. We didn't know it then, but our younger son Ryan's two years at Lucy Beckham High School would be better than we ever could have anticipated. We loved the school and his Bengals Baseball community more than we imagined. 

I still miss our Chicago friends and family (and I miss fall and winter - although I'm the only one in my family who does), but I am grateful we have the opportunity to live in such a unique city and neighborhood. I still have a hard time describing I'on to friends and family back home, and pictures don't do it justice. Someone in the neighborhood recently described it to me as "Planet I'On", and that has stuck with me. It's just one of those places that's unlike anywhere else, and you have to be here to really appreciate how special it is. 

Moving your family to a new state where you don’t know a soul in the middle of your sons’ high school experience is a daunting proposition. The first neighborhood that Pam Bishop showed me on my job interview was I’On.  Like staying at a beautiful five-star hotel on your first vacation, it was hard for me to imagine our family living anywhere else.  We appreciate the community, safety, and most importantly, the people - everyone has been so welcoming and friendly to our family.  Our only regret is not moving here 15 years ago.  

I like to think that I'm the first one in my family to make the move down south. I was accepted at UNC Chapel Hill and decided to attend before my family decided to move to Charleston. I spent just three weeks in I'On before leaving for school, so I didn't have much time to acclimate to I'On, but I love the neighborhood. 

I'm away most of the year, but look forward to coming back here. I like the heat and try to get as much sun as possible: beach or backyard. One of the best things about I'On is being able to walk to a park so close to throw the football or walk the dog. 

Last summer, I worked at Saltwater Cowboys, which was a fun job - it kept me busy and near the water. This summer I'm working at a research lab at MUSC. It's a completely different pace, and I'm definitely not getting as much sun, but I like it. The work is interesting, and it's cool doing something that challenges me in a new way. 

Charleston's been a good place to land. I'm still figuring stuff out, but it's definitely starting to feel like the right fit. 

Coming from a busy city where everything moved so fast, I wasn't sure what to expect when we moved to I'On. However, everyone in the neighborhood was very nice and open to me and my family, which made the transition from Chicago very easy. The people I have met in I'On are always friendly. For example, when I take my dog Rosie for walks around the lakes, there are always people who are friendly and will stop and have a conversation. 

I was starting my junior year of high school when we moved. It's a hard time to start over, but everyone I met in Mount Pleasant and at Lucy Beckham High School were very welcoming, and it was a smooth transition. I played varsity baseball for two years, and the program, coaches, families, and my teammates were great. I started meeting my teammates at the gym on my first day in town, and today they are my good friends. Sometimes I wish we had moved here a few years earlier so I could have had four years at Lucy Beckham.

Overall, it has been a great experience living in I'on for the past two years, and I would recommend it to anyone moving to the Charleston area. 

Just keeping it real...almost everyone my family has met in I'On has been through me. I'm the friend maker. I love everything about living in I'On (except July, August and September). I enjoy chasing lizards and squirrels in our backyard, and I've made great friends playing at the Amphitheater and Maybank Green. I won't name drop, but my favorite house is the corner one by Westlake...the one with the pigs in a blanket dog treats. (IYKYK) I love going to the beach and walking the marsh trail - although no one will take me when it's banana spider season. My favorite time in town was when it snowed this year. It wasn't quite the three-foot snow drifts I loved diving into in Lincoln Park, but I'll take it. I was worried I'd never see snow again. Over the years, I've heard my family discussing potential moves to St. Louis, Boston and Salt Lake City. They never asked my opinion, but I think by choosing Charleston - and specifically, I'On.  They clearly made the best choice.