Part of the Still & Moving series with Janet M. Taylor and Coni J. Mackey — real conversations about letting go, starting over, and living with intention after 60.
Episode 2 of 5 | Still & Moving
Most people plan a cross-country move for months. Coni Mackey planned hers while she could barely see.
In this second conversation in the Still & Moving series, Coni shares what it actually took to leave Las Vegas and relocate to the Pacific Northwest — navigating a lease deadline, a storage unit, movers, and her own finances, all while recovering from vision loss that left her unable to drive, read, or work for months.
She was not waiting for perfect conditions. She was waiting to be able to see well enough to read the screen.
What carried her through was surprisingly simple: voice memos on her phone, conversations with trusted people who helped her think clearly, and a willingness to ask the right question. Not “How do I make this work from here?” but “Where was I the happiest?”
The answer kept pointing her back to the Pacific Northwest. So that’s where she went.
Janet M. Taylor, who has known Coni through multiple moves, reflects on what it means to build systems when life refuses to cooperate with your timeline. The conversation covers practical logistics — storage, movers, packing with labels and photos — but the deeper thread is about what it feels like to choose yourself when everything around you is uncertain.
“I got to a point where I said, where was I the most happiest?” Coni says. “And that’s what I followed.”
That question is one worth sitting with. Not just when you’re planning a move. Any time life is asking you to start over.
Watch the full conversation: Episode 2: Cross-Country and Courageous
