Peta Murgatroyd and Maksim Chmerkovskiy have been living in Florida for less than two months, and one change involving their oldest son has already convinced Murgatroyd that the family made the right move.
The former Dancing With the Stars pros left Los Angeles for Boca Raton with sons Shai, 9, Rio, 3, and Milan, 2, earlier this summer. In an August 21 Instagram Story detailed by Us Weekly, Murgatroyd said the family is now “loving every second” of its new life.
For Murgatroyd, the biggest payoff has been seeing Shai develop the kind of neighborhood friendships she wanted for him. She said boys now knock on the family’s door asking him to come outside, play and ride bikes, adding, “I wanted Shai to have the childhood that I had and I can see it happening.”
The couple had already called leaving California the “best decision” for their family when they announced the move in June. Now Murgatroyd is offering a more specific explanation, pointing to the community, nearby beach, schools, youth sports and everyday convenience as reasons Boca Raton fits their family at this stage of their lives.
Shai Has Neighborhood Kids Knocking on the Door to Play
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Murgatroyd told followers that the sense of community has been one of the biggest differences since the move. She described their neighbors as “very sweet, very nice, very accommodating” and said her sons have already been invited to multiple playdates.
That has been especially meaningful with Shai. Murgatroyd said boys in their community will show up at the house and ask him to play or ride bikes, an experience she contrasted directly with the family’s life in Los Angeles.
“This never happened over there,” she said, according to Page Six. Seeing those friendships develop is “the best thing” for her, Murgatroyd added, because it resembles the childhood experience she hoped her oldest son would have.
Boca Raton Checked Several Boxes for Their Family
The couple did not choose South Florida without already knowing what appealed to them about the area. Murgatroyd said they had “always loved Florida” and its lifestyle before eventually falling for Boca Raton, which she believes offers the combination their family currently needs.
She pointed to Miami’s proximity, a beach roughly 11 minutes from their home, highly rated schools and sports opportunities for the boys. Even Florida’s summer heat has been easier to handle than she anticipated after people warned her that the weather might have the family heading back to California.
Everyday convenience has also become a major selling point. Murgatroyd said much of what the family needs is within about a five-minute drive and joked that there seems to be a CVS or Walgreens on every corner. “At this stage of my life with three boys, I’m about convenience,” she said.
The Move Started With a Tearful Goodbye to Los Angeles
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Murgatroyd’s upbeat August update follows a much more emotional departure. When she and Chmerkovskiy announced the move in June, they documented packing their home and driving away from Los Angeles after years in California. E! News reported that both became emotional in the family’s moving video.
Murgatroyd acknowledged at the time that leaving a familiar life brought unexpected tears, difficult goodbyes and moments when she questioned whether they were making the right choice. Still, she said sometimes leaving what is comfortable is necessary to find what comes next.
Maks’ Parents Followed Them to Florida
The Chmerkovskiys now have another part of their family nearby. Murgatroyd revealed that Chmerkovskiy’s parents also relocated to Florida, something she said she and her husband had not realized they were planning when the couple made their own decision to move.
“They did, which is amazing and awesome,” Murgatroyd said of her in-laws. She explained that they now have their own place in the area and are enjoying living near the beach.