Little pink houses, and a place that feels like home

After 20 years of living and working in Las Vegas, my wife and I were done with hot and dry desert living. We were both looking for a change of scenery, a higher quality of life, and possibly a return to our roots, having both lived in the Midwest in our childhood.

While we had been looking for a few years, a turn of events with our family moved our focus. Our sister-in-law was hired for a position at Indiana University, and we looked at Bloomington as an option. After a three-day weekend in town, we decided it was the place for us.

Through the Remote Worker program through Amplify Bloomington, we found a place. Our two families decided to move to Indiana, at the same time!

What followed was a four-day, nearly 2,000-mile road trip—deserts fading into prairies, crossing the Mississippi, and eventually arriving among the “little pink houses” John Mellencamp made famous (we even spotted one in Spencer).

What we’ve found here is a balance we didn’t expect to feel so quickly. Bloomington has an palpable energy to it—great restaurants, local art, and a steady pulse of university and community events. And just as easily, you can step away from it all into parks, trails, and quiet stretches of nature.

The biggest surprise, though, has been the people. Everywhere we’ve gone - from the Farmers’ Market to Chamber events to gatherings at Indiana University - we’ve been met with a genuine sense of welcome and community.

We’re grateful to Amplify Bloomington and the MakeMyMove program for helping us land here. It already feels like home.