Being a Part of Something: How Sarah Found her Next Home in Hutchinson, Kansas

For most of her life, Sarah Monje lived in larger cities. She grew up in California and when she became a remote worker, she moved to New York but found the winters too harsh. Eventually, she and her husband relocated to Oklahoma City, where they settled for a few years. But as remote work became the norm, Sarah realized she had more agency in deciding where they wanted to build a life. “I just remember thinking, if we can work from anywhere, why are we still here?” Sarah said.

The Monje’s were ready for a new address that offered them land, peace and perhaps most importantly, a community where they felt like they belonged.

Searching for a Different Kind of Life

Sarah says she first heard about MakeMyMove years earlier but came across the program again during a website search. Together, they started looking at the different communities on the platform. They clicked through photo galleries and read community profiles and testimonials from locals. “We knew we liked the middle of the country,” Sarah explained. “New York was beautiful, but the snow wasn’t for me. Oklahoma was great and everybody is so nice there, so we wanted to stay in this part of the country.”

What stood out about the town of Hutchinson, Kansas, was not just its incentive program but the fact that the pictures made it feel real. “We didn’t know anything about Hutchinson before we came across it on the MakeMyMove website and the information provided gave us enough to start further exploring the area virtually.”

To confirm their instincts, they traveled to Wichita one weekend and then made a quick visit to Hutchinson. “We thought it was really cute and looked the same as it was depicted online,” she said. They returned to Oklahoma, put in their application and started planning the move around the sale of their home.

The Move and an Unexpected Twist

The couple timed their relocation carefully. The plan was to arrive in Kansas in early winter and close on the sale of their Oklahoma home just a week later. For a moment, everything was lining up seamlessly.

Then, on closing day, the buyer backed out. “It was stressful,” Sarah said, noting that they’re still sorting out mediation. The delay meant adjusting timelines and pausing certain decisions, including purchasing a home in their new community but they were able to secure a rental and move forward with their relocation.

But in a twist of fortune, the rental they found might actually become their long-term home. The hundred-year old house sits on two lots with a generous yard and enough space for a future workshop for her husband, who builds furniture and enjoys woodworking. Shortly after they moved in, the landlord stopped by and casually mentioned the property would eventually be for sale.

If everything checks out, there’s a real scenario in which they won’t have to move again. “Once the house in Oklahoma sells, we’ll probably move forward with getting it inspected,” Sarah said.

First Impressions of Hutch

Within days of arriving, Sarah noticed how friendly and helpful the locals in Hutchinson, or “Hutch” as locals call it, were. “We’d go out to pick up food and people would ask if we were visiting,” she said. “When we told them we just moved here, they’d spend ten minutes telling us what to do in the area or what events were coming up.”

The most unexpected introduction came from an employee at Subway, who enthusiastically explained the community’s monthly Third Thursday event on Main Street, where local vendors sell crafts and residents walk the street with friends and neighbors. “She probably talked to us for twenty minutes,” Sarah laughed. “She was so nice and after living in big cities, I know that’s not something you’re going to experience there.

They have also started testing out the local food scene and have been pleasantly surprised so far by the variety of dining establishments, including sushi, Mexican food and local diners. “Even though we’re in the middle of the country, we’ve found the sushi we’ve had here to be really good,” she said. They’ve gone back to the same locally owned sushi place twice already.

Where the Days Slow Down

In Oklahoma City, noise was constant. In Hutch, they are enjoying a much quieter life.

“We probably hear one car drive by our home every couple of hours.” She says the calmness has also altered her routine. She started waking up later, began taking real lunch breaks and when the weather was still warm, she’d finish work and sit outside in a folding chair, just to enjoy the space and hear the geese that fly overhead.

Once the weather gets warmer and she has more time to settle in, she’s excited about exploring Sand Hills State Park, which sits north of Hutch and the Dillon Nature Center nearby. Wichita is only 45 minutes away, giving them quick access to a big-city weekend without needing to live inside of one. They have found the balance they were searching for.

Becoming Part of Something

When they lived in upstate New York, Sarah and her husband were involved with the local Elks lodge, volunteering at community breakfasts and Friday dinners. That experience planted a seed. “I liked being part of the community,” she said. “I want to meet people, try new things, maybe get involved in activities I never would have thought of trying.”

Big cities offer endless activities, but they can also dilute a sense of belonging. “In a big city, there are so many people that you don’t feel like you could ever really be part of something,” she said. “Here, you can.”

She imagines the kind of friendships that evolve naturally with backyard barbecues, having neighbors over for drinks, or a hobby that turns into a weekly meetup. “I’m a homebody,” she explained. “But I want a small group of friends that we can lean on.” One of the incentives in Hutchinson’s relocation package is a free pass to Carey Park Golf Course, which she sees as a possible social entry point. “If you connect with people who enjoy doing the same thing that you do, you already have something in common.”

Advice for Future Movers

If someone is considering relocating through MakeMyMove, Sarah has a simple answer: “If you can do it, do it,” she said. “Don’t spend your whole life in one place if you don’t have to.”

Her practical guidance is equally direct: decide where you want to live first, then explore the communities on the platform that match that criteria. For smaller towns, she recommends checking proximity to larger metros, especially if you’re used to living in a larger city. “You can always drive to the city on the weekend if you want,” she said. “A small town kind of life is just more appealing to me. I like the idea of being part of something here.”