Entertainment TV James Van Der Beek Opens Up About the 'Drastic Changes' in His Life That Led Family to Move to Texas The Dawson's Creek alum announced that he and his family were leaving Los Angeles in September By Gabrielle Chung Published on October 13, 2020 07:58 PM Share Tweet Pin Email James Van Der Beek has officially moved to the Lone Star State. The Dawson's Creek alum, 43, opened up about what led to his decision to relocate his family — including wife Kimberly and their five children: Gwendolyn, 2, Emilia, 4, Annabel Leah, 6, Joshua, 8, and Olivia, 9½ — to Texas in an Instagram post on Tuesday. Alongside photos of his kids exploring their new home, Van Der Beek began in the caption, "And... we’ve landed." "In the last ten months, we’ve had two late-term pregnancy losses, each of which put @vanderkimberly in the hospital," the actor wrote, "we spent Christmas break thinking she had a tumor (the doctor was wrong, thank god), a business colleague I hired hijacked the project and stabbed me in the back, I was prematurely booted off a reality dancing show I was favored to win in front of the whole world, and my mom died." James Van Der Beek and his children. james van der beek/instagram "And a shut-down," he continued, referencing the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. "All of that led to some drastic changes in our lives, and dreams, and priorities... and landed us here." "Overflowing with profound gratitude today," Van Der Beek added. James Van Der Beek and His Family Are Moving from Los Angeles to Texas: 'Onto the Next Big Adventure!' In September, Van Der Beek announced he and his family were moving from Los Angeles by sharing several photos of their empty house in Beverly Hills. "Sometimes a fuller life begins with an empty house," the captioned the shots. "Leaving Los Angeles incredibly grateful for all the friends and memories we’ve made here. Onto the next big adventure! ❤️😊." The family then embarked on a weeks-long road trip east, with Van Der Beek and his wife documenting their journey on social media. On Oct. 3, Van Der Beek posted a photo from their pitstop at the Grand Canyon in Arizona. In the shot, the Varsity Blues star poses with his family and their newly adopted dogs Windsor and Able and loyal canine companions Rocky and Skye. Kimberly Van Der Beek on Education Plan for Her 5 Kids, Says Traditional School Is 'Imprisonment' "I visited #GrandCanyon when I was a kid. And despite the chaos of the past thirty years... she's still there," he wrote. "Unchanged by all the stupid stuff we’ve been up to. Was reminded today just how small we are, and how temporary our time here is. #MakeItCount." While in New Mexico, Van Der Beek shared a video of a paraglider in the sky, writing, "Not saying I need to fly a parachute with a fan strapped to my back like this guy... but when people ask why we’re moving our kids out of L.A. these are just some of the reasons." On Monday, Van Der Beek gave his followers an update in the final home stretch of their road trip. RELATED VIDEO: James Van Der Beek and Family Have 'Entered the Wear Christmas Pajamas' Phase of Self-Isolating "When I was a kid, I used to think freedom would be finally having the things I’d dreamed of having. It wasn’t. Then I thought freedom would be having no attachment to anything. It wasn’t," he captioned a video of himself driving through a large empty field. "Now, in the midst of a move to a new state 1500 miles from any place I’ve ever lived... I’m starting to feel like freedom is daring to love with all of your heart... and having the courage to put what you love first. I’m working on it..."