Finding Time Again: The Boyd Family’s Move from Dallas to Macon

The decision to leave Dallas started quietly, as a practical conversation between Audrea and her husband, Dr. Boyd trying to imagine what the next chapter for their family looked like. They had two little boys at home and a third on the way and the rhythm of big-city life, including traffic, long commutes and rigid schedules - felt out of sync with the life they wanted to build. The idea of changing not just where they lived but how they lived began to take shape.

“We had two boys and one on the way,” Audrea said. “We wanted to get out of the city and relocate to a place where our kids could run and play and Dr. Boyd was ready for a career shift. It was just time.”

From Dallas, they began looking beyond large metros, searching for communities that offered the Boyds family more room, less congestion and the chance for Dr. Boyd to transition from a job as a plastic surgeon in a hospital system to a private practice. That search led to Macon, Georgia.

Discovering a New Possibility

The family first heard about MakeMyMove almost by accident. While Dr. Boyd started researching a potential job opportunity in Macon, Georgia, Audrea stumbled across a local newspaper article describing relocation incentives for families willing to put down roots there.

“I saw this article about how the Macon Chamber of Commerce was offering more than $7,000 in incentives to families who move to Macon and I thought this is cool,” she said. “So I applied.”

While they waited to hear if they were approved for the program, real estate in Dallas was moving slowly. The family had just 90 days to sell their house in Dallas and find a new one. To make their move work, the family had to navigate contracts, approvals, contingencies and school timelines all at once.

The home search moved quickly. With real estate moving faster in Macon than in Dallas, they placed an offer sight unseen. When they later made the trip to see it in person, the house confirmed everything they saw online.

“We walked in and within ten minutes we knew it was the one,” Audrea said.

What They Gained: Community, Connection & Time

The Boyds arrived with three kids under the age of six, including a newborn and assumed the adjustment would be overwhelming. Instead, the transition was surprisingly smooth.

Though they had visited Macon only briefly years earlier, the family had one friend in town who helped create an instant sense of connection. “They introduced us to so many people,” Audrea said. “It made the transition so much easier.”

Their two older children enrolled in a private school, something that had felt unattainable in Dallas. “Macon has a wide variety of private schools that are actually economical compared to Dallas,” Audrea noted. The boys quickly found friends and as it turned out, so did their parents.

“They’ve made so many friends. Honestly, it’s where we’re meeting new friends, too.”

Outside the school day, the differences between small-town life and their prior life in a big city revealed themselves in dozens of subtle, daily ways. For example, in Dallas, a trip to the grocery store meant anonymity, but in Macon it meant running into new neighbors and friends.

“In Dallas, I could go three weeks and not see anyone I knew. Here, you see people everywhere you go,” Audrea says.

Rebuilding the Family Schedule

But the biggest shift was the time they have been able to get back.

“In the hospital, you’re on their schedule. Now that Dr. Boyd works at Renaissance Plastic Surgery, a private practice, he’s able to make his own hours, which was one of the biggest reasons we left the city. He also used to spend two hours a day in traffic. Now it takes him five minutes to get home,” Audrea explained.

Those regained hours turned into family dinners, backyard afternoons, bedtime routines and conversations that didn’t have to be squeezed in between obligations.

And while life with young children can feel similar no matter where you live, Macon gave their kids something Dallas couldn’t: room to roam.

“My kids haven’t missed out on anything by moving to a smaller town,” Audrea said. “If anything, they’ve gained more because they have more freedom. They’re not locked inside.”

A Thoughtful Incentive Package That Opened Doors

Macon quickly surprised them in ways they didn’t expect. From the incentive package to the warm local culture, they felt welcomed at every turn. “They gave us gift certificates to all these small businesses,” Audrea said. “We’ve actually gone back to many of them because we fell in love with the stories the owners shared with us.” As a small business owner herself - a med spa operator - she appreciated the personal touch and local pride behind each incentive.

And of course, the $2,500 cash for relocation helped too.

“Moving is expensive no matter how you do it,” she laughed. “So that part was really helpful.”

Building Toward Something Bigger

Even with so many major milestones, including a new home, new baby and new job - the Boyd family is already thinking about how they can contribute to the place that’s welcomed them so warmly. “One of our goals is to give back,” Audrea explained. “In a small town, you can actually see the difference you’re making. That’s exciting for us.”

The family views the ability to get involved in their new community as part of the attraction that Macon offers.

A Move With No Regrets

As they get settled in, Audrea says the move has been overwhelmingly positive. “We have nothing negative to say about this move. It’s just been wonderful.”

When asked what moving has given their family, Audrea doesn’t hesitate.

“The biggest commodity in life is time. Moving to a smaller town lets you actually grasp that. You get to have those special moments with your family because there’s more time.”