Some things are never easy. Trying to find Waldo; having the patience to eat the Cracker Jacks before hunting for the prize; or fully understanding every instruction your wife gave you before she left the house. She needs to remember the game was on and she may not have had my full attention.

Another thing that is never easy is moving.

What many call the “simple act of moving” is exhausting, frustrating, nerve-wracking and stressing on one’s marriage. Again, see above about fully understanding wife’s instructions.

Over the past few weeks, in advance of moving to Suffolk from Alabama, my wife and I packed many of our life’s memories up in boxes, threw many others away and then watched as perfect strangers purged through items put on a yard sale. It’s interesting to see a watch you purchased 10 years ago for $70-plus go for the whopping amount of $2. If only she’d let me be in control of the pricing.

But unlike some other moves in my life, this move has been met with excitement. Not because of the process, but because of the destination and the opportunity.

Throughout my career, I’ve had the chance to work in many great communities and with newspapers that have had an amazing history. In this move, I have the rare occasion of having both in one spot.

The growth in this part of Virginia is amazing, and the future for the News-Herald is even brighter.

While many have written about the pain the current economy and changing reader habits have placed on newspapers, it is refreshing to be in a place and with a company that is facing those challenges head on and thriving.

It is refreshing to be part of a city that understands the meaning and value of family and community and works to develop the amenities that we all enjoy.

It is also rewarding to be joining a team of people dedicated to those that rely on the News-Herald and its products for information and business. Without exception it appears that each person is focused on the task at hand, whether it is telling a great story or helping a local business further succeed through advertising.

I have looked forward to this opportunity for weeks, and it is comforting to know that we are finally here. Now, if I can only find that watch or Waldo.