“All of a sudden the pandemic happened and I really was feeling that I could still be just as creative from home,” Duff told Parade.com while promoting the launch of NUTRO ULTRA’s Barkuterie Boards. “I could still work from home luckily, knock on wood, and really, we could live anywhere. And I could still continue to get to work on the things that make me feel fulfilled.” That’s when she and fiancé Matt Rosenberg decided to “just do it” and moved to the Lone Star State with their two daughters, Ryan Rosenberg and Lulu Rosenberg. “And I’m so happy we did,” Duff said. As with most big leaps, Duff’s decision to uproot her family was definitely made with a healthy amount of concern. “I think I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have any fear,” Duff shared. Back in Los Angeles, the mom of two counted herself fortunate to have a tight-knit group of fellow mom and parent friends, and didn’t know if lightning could strike twice. “I was like, ‘Gosh, I’m leaving behind this incredible support system for these young years of parenting,’” she recalled. “I think that was my fear: Will I find people that I click with and I vibe with in the same way that I do my group of friends in Los Angeles? And then as soon as we got here, I was reminded why Texas is so amazing and it’s because of the people.” Duff has since befriended a “really amazing group” of girlfriends in Texas and also enjoys the company of two of her close L.A. friends, The Sopranos’ Jamie-Lynn Sigler and Glee’s Becca Tobin—who, like her, left Tinseltown for Austin and now live in the same community. While the MaterialGirls actress loves having her friends close, both geographically and metaphorically, the biggest gift she got from moving back to Texas has been the chance to be nearer to her father, stepmother and stepsisters. Another positive for Duff? Seeing her eldest daughter, 6-year-old Ryan, become more independent. “[Ryan] started at a brand new school where she did not know one single child. Coming out of a pandemic, she’d never been into school at all. And she just walked in and has really faced something that I know she was scared to do and came out on top. And now she rides the bus by herself and has her little group of friends,” Duff proudly revealed. “She dove in with both feet. I think the independence that I’ve seen in my daughters, I think has probably been one of the best things for me.” The change of scenery has also allowed Duff to take a breath and reprioritize the things she really wants. “I think probably the biggest difference is the slowdown, where you can really focus on those goals and those dreams that you have and apply yourself to them,” she explained. Though some might fear change, Duff, who is a “big manifester,” believes in embracing it. “I’m a very big believer that things happen the way they’re supposed to, and they work out and that the universe really rewards you if you listen to kind of what your insides are telling you, and then you follow it,” she said. The Blending Christmas star added, “I think the best thing we can do, especially as adults, is embrace change and just lean into it. I feel like when you do that and when you give yourself the opportunity to have that kind of growth, you’re always rewarded.” As for Duff’s next big leap? Perhaps a new cookbook. “I always feel so inspired in the kitchen. I would love to do another cookbook, maybe that’s the next thing,” she said. “It’s certainly been so many years since my first one, I probably should get working on one!” Next, 40 Second Act Stories About Women Who Achieved Their Dreams When They Were Over 40, Proving It’s Never Too Late to Start
