Hi friends, family, and kind strangers—

My name is Nichole, and I’m reaching out on behalf of my family. 

We’re currently facing an unexpected and emotional turning point. The home we’ve been living in for the past six years—the place we thought we were building a future in—is being put on the market. We had originally planned to purchase it and believed we were already paying toward that goal for the last two years. Unfortunately, the owner has decided to go in another direction, and instead of pulling our 7 year old daughter out of school mid-year and dumping her in an unknown school with no friends or family near, we’re now in the difficult position of needing to find a new home before the school year starts. We did our best trying to find another home near us so she can continue to go to school where she loves but had no luck. It’s rural with limited options and homes near that district are highly sought after. She is an extremely bright A-Honor Roll student but she can be shy and a bit timid so we don’t want to risk “academically traumatizing” her. It’s just not fair to her. I’ve personally gone through the process of relocating to an unknown area in my youth and it was GUTTING. I will not voluntarily do that to my child.

After a lot of soul-searching, tears, late-night budgeting, and weighing our options, we’ve come to the conclusion that the best move for our family is to return to Minnesota—closer to my family, lifelong friends, and the support network we’ve missed so much. Unfortunately this also means leaving my job that I love so much. Moving across the country is never easy, but this time it feels urgent, necessary, and deeply personal. Our top priority is giving Violet a sense of stability, safety, and familiarity before she starts second grade in a brand new school in early September. We have our sights set on the Underwood/Fergus Falls area so that Violet can attend school (and likely the same class!) with a close family friend and have a familiar face to help ease her into this new chapter.

We’ve been navigating some rough waters the last few years as it is so this couldn’t come at a worse time, really. We do not have the funds to make this a reality on our own, and by August, no less.

We’re asking for help to make this happen. Funds raised will go directly toward:

• A moving truck and car hitch for the cross-country trip

• Moving supplies (boxes, packing materials, tape, bubble wrap—you know, the works)

• A storage unit to hold our belongings temporarily

• Upfront rental fees and deposits for our new home

• Cost of gas for the moving truck and vehicles

• Tune-up for our vehicle to survive the long haul (it’s pushing 200k + miles )

• Accommodations for at least one stop if not two along the way

We’ve also got to get Violet enrolled in a new school and her school supplies ready pretty quickly.

⚖️ TOTAL ESTIMATED COST RANGE:

Low End: ~$4,800

High End: ~$7,900+

I’m going to be completely honest: asking for help like this is not easy for me. I’m a prideful, scrappy, do-it-myself kind of person, and usually I’d rather chew glass than ask for money or really any help in any way. But this isn’t about just me—it’s about our daughter, and making sure we land on our feet during a major life transition. If there’s ever been a moment for me to swallow my pride and lean on the people around me, it’s now.

If you’re able to donate—thank you, from the bottom of my heart. If you can share this, that’s just as valuable. And if you’re the type to light a candle, say a prayer, or scream into the void on our behalf—hey, we’ll take that too.

Thank you for reading, for caring, and for helping us get back home.

With love and deep gratitude,

Nichole, Daniel, Violet & Theodore