Goodbye Virginia
(10/1/2025 - 10/31/2025)
We kicked off fall with a trip to Winston-Salem North Carolina to see the Wards! Somehow, we’ve all managed to have kids around the same time. So every get-together feels like a tiny family reunion and a daycare in one.
It was a struggle doing anything too adventurous while managing 4 nap schedules. Between the pumpkin patch, cozy evenings after bedtime, and snack breaks, we had the best time catching up and watching the kids interact.
The next weekend I went to breakfast with some of my favorite coworkers. Tim was my first boss at Suffolk and Kartik was my last boss. Tim also used to by Kartik’s boss a few years prior. We had a great time reminiscing about our time at Suffolk. Kartik earns a shoutout for sending me home with Soanpapdi—an Indian dessert that instantly became a hit at the Bakker home.
A big part of my Suffolk time was spent on a data center project in Ashburn. I shared an office with Abhishek and Caroline, and we probably got along too well—so much so that Kartik had to keep us in line from the next office over.
I was sad to leave all the wonderful people I got to know and care about at Suffolk. I made so many great friends there, and I’m grateful to everyone who mentored me and helped me grow—both professionally and personally.
One night we were teaching Lucy how to pray and we gave her a cookie as a positive reinforcement. After that she kept folding her arms and saying, “prayer” then asking for a cookie
I wasn’t the only one to bid adieu to my friends. Sarah had a girls night with JJ and they saw Børns in concert. She had a great time listening to music she loves with a friend she loves.
Sarah had another girls night when she went to a haunted house with the Burn Boot Camp girls.
Lucy had her own goodbyes too! Katie’s girls were always so sweet to Lucy. We will miss them!
Since he had not yet made it to the National Firearms Museum or Mt. Vernon we had to cross those off of our bucket lists before we left. The National Firearms Museum was exactly what you would expect…a bunch of guns with some historical context and some big game.
That weekend the Pulsipher’s came to town, and we all went to Mt. Vernon! One highlight for me was one of the actors proudly announcing that George Washington freed all his slaves after he died. I couldn’t help but think about how easy it is to free your slaves once you’re no longer relying on them.
We ate lunch at Eddie’s in Alexandria and I had the best French Dip I have ever tasted.
I also had to make it out to Shenandoah one last time to see the beautiful Virginia fall colors. Noah and I hiked for a several hours, then balanced out all that effort with five apple cider donuts each and a hearty lunch at Apple House.
I do feel a little bad for convincing Noah to take a job at Suffolk… only to move away three months later. But selfishly, I’m glad he came out—we got some great time together. He’s one of my closest friends and my best lifting partner. Maybe I can recruit him to Utah next.
Eventually we (Sarah and my mom) got the house packed up and we loaded up the pod. We said our goodbyes then we were off to Utah. Sarah, Lucy, and Bo flew back with my mom’s help and I made the 32 hour drive in our reliable Honda Odyssey.
I stopped in at work on Friday for my last day then started my long drive. I enjoyed the drive much more than I expected. I made some key stops to grow my “states I’ve been to list” and am now up to 34! I was most excited to stop by West Side Barbell. This is a legendary gym founded by Louie Simmons who is the godfather of American powerlifting. I loved walking through the gym they have preserved so nicely and I even got a quick lift in. Another highlight was stopping in Nebraska to eat a delicious Runza. I finally to Utah on Sunday (10/26) just in time for lunch.
Sarah and I were sad to leave Virginia and all the people we had come to know and love. We are grateful for our experience on the East Coast and have so many memories to cherish thanks to our time there. Though we miss many people in VA we are happy to be back in Utah and close to family.
Being in Utah we have been able to catch up with some old friends and enjoy a lot of family time. Lucy has been loving all the time with her cousins and Bo has been loving all the attention (though he has a lot of competition).
For Halloween we dressed up as “Bluey.” Sarah and I were mom and dad, Lucy was Bluey, and her cousin Mia was Bingo.
Back in Utah now, and we’re just feeling grateful for all the fun and memories from the past few months. Between pumpkin patches, road trips, and too many donuts, it’s been an incredible fall. We are excited to see what’s next!