Back to Bloomington: How Two IU Alumni Came Home Through MakeMyMove

When Marissa Huber-East and her husband, Mike East first met in Bloomington two decades ago, they were college students surrounded by limestone buildings, autumn color and the creative hum of Indiana University. Life eventually carried them far from campus. First to Philadelphia, then South Florida, but the pull of Bloomington never really went away.

This past year, the couple made their way back, this time as parents, professionals, proud IU alumni, and Marissa as a Workplace Strategy Director, through MakeMyMove.

“Every so often we’ll just look at each other and say, ‘I’m so glad we moved back,’” Marissa said. “It just fits our family.”

Finding Their Way Back to Bloomington

Marissa grew up in South Florida; her husband, in nearby Bedford, Indiana. Their paths crossed in Bloomington at Indiana University, where she was earning a degree in interior design and he had recently graduated with a BFA in painting.

“Bloomington has always been part of our story,” Marissa said. “We met while working at Pygmalion’s, a beloved local art supply store that’s no longer open.” “We started hanging out and never really stopped. Over time, it felt natural to imagine raising our family here.”

IU offered water polo, a strong liberal arts education, a gorgeous campus, and a close-knit community. She was a walk-on backup goalie on IU’s inaugural NCAA Division I women’s water polo team and spent two years as a Resident Assistant in Forrest, experiences that shaped her leadership and communication skills.

After graduation, they moved to Philadelphia for her husband’s graduate program at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Life there was a grind, he was teaching as a college art professor, and Marissa was building her career in corporate space and occupancy planning. They eventually moved to South Florida to help family and continue growing their careers, but her long commutes made it unsustainable over nearly ten years. By the time their children reached elementary school, it no longer fit.

“I’d sometimes spend two hours in traffic each way just to drive 24 miles,” she said. “It wasn’t sustainable. We missed that sense of community, neighbors who say hello, kids knocking on each other’s doors, and a slower pace.”

The question became not if, but where they would move.

Bloomington was always at the top of the list, a place that feels small yet full of culture and amenities you usually find in bigger cities, with friends, family, and campus energy nearby.

“It’s always felt like a second home,” she said. “As time went on, it just made sense to move back here.”

The NPR Moment That Made it Click

That “someday” arrived sooner than expected thanks to a conversation at her children’s preschool.

“One of the other parents mentioned she’d heard on NPR about a program paying people to relocate to different communities,” Marissa recalled. “I looked it up that night and when I was on the MakeMyMove platform, I saw that Bloomington was one of the places listed.”

The couple was already considering a return to the Midwest and the program’s offer of cash incentives and community support gave them the nudge they needed. Within weeks, Marissa applied, submitted her documents and was approved.

“It was an easy, friendly process,” she said. “It just felt meant to be.”

The MakeMyMove incentive package included a membership to The Mill, Bloomington’s coworking and entrepreneurship hub, a modern counterpart to the university’s legacy of innovation.

“The Mill has been wonderful,” Marissa said. “It’s a place to see familiar faces, connect with other professionals and feel part of something.”

Rediscovering Community

By summer’s end, the East Family were settled into a leafy neighborhood within walking distance of their children’s schools. Rather than rushing from carpool to conference calls, mornings now begin with a family walk and their dog trotting alongside.

“It’s 25 minutes round-trip,” she said. “Everyone’s in a good mood, we see neighbors, it’s a completely different start to the day.”

Their children have adjusted easily to their new schools, making friends and supported by attentive, encouraging teachers.

“My son told me, ‘I loved my friends back in Florida, but everyone here is so friendly,’” she said. “That really sums it up.”

The family decided to rent a home first, a strategic choice in a shifting housing market and quickly found themselves woven into neighborhood life.

“Kids knock on the door, take off their shoes and come in for snacks - which I make sure to keep in big supply,” Marissa said with a laugh. “That’s exactly what I wanted for my kids: an old-school, 1980s-style childhood.”

Art, Academia and a Sense of Belonging

Her husband, Mike East, a fine artist, has embraced being back in Bloomington, close to family, lifelong friends, and the community that has always been central to him. After years of balancing being an art professor, parenting, and logistics in larger cities, he now spends most of his day as a stay-at-home father while still finding time to paint in his home studio, connect with other artists, and travel for inspiration.

“Being a remote worker made it possible for me to work from home while my husband spent two weeks this summer painting on an island in Maine at the estate of artist Fairfield Porter,” Marissa said. “He was invited by fellow IU alumnus Neil Callander, which was a fun connection, and he came back with ten new plein-air pieces. It reignited his art practice.”

Together, the couple attends First Friday art shows, IU athletic events, and community events with friends and family. Their weekends often include strolls through the Bloomington Community Farmers’ Market or downtown stops at Goods for Cooks and J.L. Waters—stores that have long defined the city’s local character.

“Being near IU gives us access to so much - sports, art, lectures, kids’ camps,” Marissa said. “It’s a small town that still feels globally connected.”

IU Roots, New Generations

Those campus ties now stretch into a second generation. Marissa and her husband’s daughter recently attended a science camp hosted by IU researchers, and weekend art classes through the university’s School of Education.

“It’s such a cool model,” she said. “The college students get teaching experience and the local kids get to learn from them. Four weeks of classes for only $25, it’s incredible.”

“People think college towns are only for students,” Marissa said. “But here, IU is interwoven into everyday life. You can go to a geology lab open house one day and a basketball game the next.”

That sense of lifelong learning and creative energy was part of what drew them back in the first place.

The Work-Life Reset

Marissa’s workdays look markedly different now. Gone are the two-hour commutes and the constant hum of city congestion.

“Replacing traffic time with walks, workouts, or just sitting outside, it’s changed everything,” she said. “I’m more productive and much more grounded.”

Her Midwest location also makes business travel easier. With clients in Chicago, Cincinnati and Indianapolis, she’s able to drive to meetings instead of having to get on a plane.

“One day I told a colleague, ‘I’ll just drive over to Cinci and we’ll hash it out in person.’ We spent the day collaborating and had lunch together - it was effortless,” she said. “That flexibility is something I didn’t have before.”

Learn more about Marissa’s business ventures here.

The MakeMyMove Difference

Relocating through MakeMyMove didn’t just simplify logistics; it helped the family plug into the local network immediately.

From introductions at The Mill to friendly follow-ups from the city’s program manager, Marissa said the process felt human in a way that corporate relocations rarely do.

“We probably would’ve come back eventually,” she said, “but this made it easy. It removed barriers like paperwork, uncertainty, connections and just made it feel possible.”

She now finds herself telling others about the program, especially fellow IU alumni and remote professionals feeling restless in crowded metros.

When I meet former IU alumni or parents of IU students, they always say,

“I love Bloomington, I wish I could live there!” Right now, I’m trying to convince all of my old friends and some colleagues to move to Bloomington, and send them the MakeMyMove info to get them thinking.

Reclaiming Space, Rebuilding Balance

The couple plans to purchase a home in the next couple of years, likely in the same neighborhood that’s brought them such joy. For now, they’re savoring the ability to take their time and purchase a home thoughtfully, rather than reactively.

On weekends, the family enjoys exploring nearby trails and parks, paddle boarding, biking, and planning outings with the kids and friends. Marissa stops by The Mill to meet a friend or attend an event, while her husband connects with other artists through shows or his own connections.

“We’re both thriving in our own ways,” she said. “I have my professional career and side passion projects, he has his art, and we both have quality time with the kids. It’s a balance we couldn’t find before.”

Same heart, new rhythm

Bloomington, she says, has grown since their college years but not in ways that have erased its character.

Downtown still buzzes with local shops and live music. The IU campus still glows at sunset. And while new restaurants and tech startups have joined the scene, the city’s foundation of creativity, education and openness remains the same.

“It’s evolved but it still has soul,” Marissa said. “That’s rare. You don’t find that combination everywhere.”

Advice for the Next Wave of Hoosiers

When asked what she would tell others considering relocating to Bloomington, Marissa doesn’t hesitate.

“Visit for a long weekend,” she said. “Walk around downtown, get coffee at Soma, kayak on Lake Monroe, and just see how it feels. It’s one of those places where you know pretty quickly if it’s your fit and for us, it absolutely was.”

She also recommends talking to locals and exploring neighborhoods on foot. “You’ll find people who moved here recently, too. Everyone’s open to connecting, it’s part of the culture.”

Coming Full Circle

For Marissa and her husband, returning to Bloomington wasn’t just about relocating; it was also about reconnecting to their roots and their creative sides. To a rhythm of life that feels intentional again.

“It’s funny,” she said, “we spent 20 years away chasing opportunities, when what we really wanted was here all along.”

As they plan their next steps, including exploring future gallery representation for Mike’s recent work or maybe picking up season tickets for IU basketball games, the Easts are exactly where they want to be.

“Our daily life fits who we are and what we value, and the people and community here in Bloomington make it so special.”