I didn't want to move to a remote Texas city because I was scared of crime. I was wrong, and now we're happier than ever.

• Ashley Hindson and her husband moved to Midland, Texas, in 2021 in search of new jobs.
• A year and a half after moving they bought a $395,000 home, and it changed how Hindson felt.
• She said they might not live in Midland forever, but plan to as long as the kids are in school.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Ashley Hindson, 29, about moving to Midland, Texas. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

My husband has worked in the oil and gas industry for a long time. When it trickled away in Colorado, we jumped to the next best place: Midland. The city has always been on our radar. It has so much untapped potential, which is why a lot of people move there.