How Kyle Rebuilt His Life, His Business and His Sense of Home in Evansville, Indiana

For most of his life, Kyle assumed Arizona would be his forever home. He grew up in the desert, built his career there as a mental health professional and after spending several years traveling and living abroad, Phoenix was where he and his husband landed when they returned to the United States. But within the year that followed, it became clear that Phoenix no longer aligned with what they wanted.

As the summers grew hotter and the cost of living continued to rise, they found themselves not talking about their next vacation but instead about the possibility of relocating. “Every year the summers were becoming more and more draining to my soul and spirit,” Kyle said.

Then one day, he saw a Facebook post from MakeMyMove. The post led him to a video about Evansville and something he didn’t anticipate - the prospect of moving to Indiana.

Within weeks, he had completed the application process for Evansville’s relocation program on the MakeMyMove platform, submitted proof of his employment and received the news that he and his husband had been accepted into the program. “I had never thought of living in Indiana,” he said. “But it just felt right and all the stars aligned.”

Moving Across the Country

Unlike most interstate relocations, Kyle and his husband didn’t need to hire a moving truck, load up furniture, or coordinate storage units. Before moving abroad years earlier, they had sold nearly everything they owned and when they returned to Phoenix, they rented a furnished Airbnb instead of rebuilding a household. When it came time to leave, everything they owned fit into a few suitcases and the backseat of their car.

In fact, most of their planning involved their seven-year-old Chihuahua mix, Morocco, but even that turned out to be a simple coordination of his medications, paperwork and finding the right carrier.

With their approved relocation letter in hand and no lease to break, they packed the car and with Morocco in tow, started their road trip east. Their first stop was in Las Vegas, then they moved steadily across the country, spending a night in almost every state they crossed.

When they finally arrived in Evansville, they moved into their newly constructed apartment complex, where they were greeted with the smell of fresh paint. “It was exactly what we wanted,” said Kyle.

They quickly started to explore the area and found that within a short distance from their new home was a veterinary clinic for Morocco, multiple grocery stores, restaurants, bars, retail stores and a gym. “It’s like a big little city right outside our door,” he said.

Discovering Evansville’s Cultural Richness and Regional Access

Going from a city of 4.5 million to one under 120,000 was a stark change, but the impact wasn’t what Kyle expected.

He quickly discovered that the city is surrounded by several cultural and recreational amenities and a geographic advantage. Downtown Evansville offers theaters, ballet and touring productions, he also explored the town's neighborhoods, discovering pockets that contributed to the community's unique identity. Just across the river in Kentucky, Kyle and his husband were able to attend the Kentucky Derby and explore Audubon State Park. Weekend trips took them to major metros such as Nashville, Louisville and Indianapolis, as well as smaller historic towns like New Harmony. “Everything is so close by,” Kyle says.

Building a Clinical Practice With More Room to Grow

Kyle, a licensed mental health professional, owned a group therapy practice in Arizona staffed by roughly 15 clinicians. Because his practice was already structured to support virtual care, relocating out of state wasn’t difficult.

Once settled in Evansville, Kyle quickly became licensed in both Indiana and Illinois, hired his first Indiana-based therapist and began interviewing a second clinician with dual-state licensures. Kyle attributed this momentum to his new home, where he has been able to concentrate on his goals more easily. “There’s not a lot of distractions here and it has given me the space to hone in on my goals.”

Locals noticed his presence as well. Some specifically sought him out because he wasn’t originally from the area. “It made therapy feel safer and less vulnerable in a community where 'everybody knows everybody’, Kyle said.”

Building Independence & Belonging

The relocation impacted Kyle’s husband differently. He had immigrated from a country where his educational and professional credentials didn’t easily translate in the U.S., and when they first returned to the States, his English proficiency was limited. Even taking the written driver’s exam had been a challenge in Arizona; the translations were inconsistent and confusing.

In Evansville, that changed. He enrolled in free English classes downtown, where an instructor took him under her wing and helped him accelerate quickly. He supplemented lessons with online tutoring, practicing reading and writing at home and soon began driver’s education through a local program. This time, he earned his permit by taking the test in English, a milestone that had previously felt out of reach. Kyle still remembers him walking out of the BMV and saying, “I passed.”

Just as important as independence was belonging. Before relocating, the couple had wondered how they would be received in Evansville as a same-sex couple. After they attended Evansville’s annual Pride festival and were able to get enmeshed with the local LGBTQ+ community. Kyle said, “We felt very safe and welcome.” Over time, they realized that most people in Evansville were simply living their lives. “Nobody has treated us any differently,” he said.

160 Pounds Lighter

After moving to Indiana, Kyle and his husband began a health and fitness journey that included gym memberships, GLP-1 medications and lifestyle changes including walking, hiking and spending more time outdoors. Together, they lost more than 160 pounds.

They attribute part of that transformation to the difference between the weather in Phoenix compared to Evansville. In southern Indiana, summers are much more tolerable, winters aren’t extreme and the temperate spring and fall weather allow them to spend more time outside, instead of staying indoors for months at a time due to the heat.

“Everyone warned us about the humidity,” Kyle joked. “But I’m outside playing pickleball every day and when we lived in Phoenix, we were stuck inside our home most of the time.”

A Future Rooted in Southern Indiana

For now, Kyle and his husband are planning for a future that includes purchasing their first home, Kyle wants to continue to expand his business and they are both exploring the possibility of purchasing a rental property that could support future international travel. Evansville has quickly become their home, Kyle notes how it’s provided them with stability, affordability and safety, while being a surprisingly dynamic community.

“There’s something for everyone here,” Kyle said. “We’re not planning on moving anywhere else.”