I Moved Away To Become The Mom I Wanted To Be.

What happens when a mom realizes she doesn’t want to keep living the way she always has?

She moves across the country.

Not because she has everything figured out.

Not because she suddenly became a perfect mother.

And definitely not because she has any idea what she’s doing.

This is not a self-help book.

It’s not here to tell you how to parent.

It’s not here to judge your messy house, your screen-time rules, your parenting choices, or the days when you are simply trying to make it to bedtime without losing your mind.

It’s just real stories from one mom trying to figure herself out while raising three kids.

It’s about motherhood, healing, breaking cycles, repairing your own inner child, apologizing when you’re wrong, laughing when your kids do something completely feral, and learning to find joy in the middle of the chaos.

There are stories about the things I swore I’d never say as a mother.

There are moments I wish I could go back and handle differently.

There are moments I’m incredibly proud of.

And there are moments when I looked around at my children and thought:

“They’re happy. They’re loved. They’re safe. Maybe I’m doing alright.”

I wrote this for the mom who has ever looked around at her life and wondered if she’s the only one who doesn’t have it all together.

Maybe this book won’t give you all the answers.

Maybe it will just remind you that you’re not alone.

And honestly?

Sometimes that’s enough.

— Carlie Houghtaling