6 Months in CA

Six months ago, also on a Saturday, Alex and I had one way tickets from San Antonio, Texas, to San Jose, California. Our possessions (narrowed down over a couple of months time) were already on the moving truck. I stuffed as much as I could into our suitcases and carry on luggage. My parents took us to the airport, and I know that there were tears. Alex and I grabbed lunch at McDonalds in the San Antonio airport, and we had to quickly change planes in Phoenix. By the time we arrived in San Jose, I was tired and relieved to see John. Some details stick in my mind, but other parts of our move are a blur. It was the first time that I moved by boarding an airplane in one place and then a few hours later landing in our new home.

As I think back over the last six months, I do feel that we are settling in here. Overall, I really enjoy living in California, especially the Bay Area. There is so much to see and do here. I enjoy the pace of life and the weather in the South Bay. I enjoyed being able to drive to Disneyland in less than a day and foresee more California road trips in our future.

After living in San Antonio for seven and a half years, there are things that I miss. I miss living near my parents. I had moved away twice before, but it is different when you have child and the family has grown. I miss our friends. We built a wonderful group of friends over the years. Building new friendships takes time.

I am surprised by how much I miss my job. I expected to miss my family and friends, but I was open to starting a new job as part of our move. After five and a half years with the same office and seven and a half years with the same university, I thought that I needed a change professionally. Obviously, I cannot turn back now, but I did not expect to miss my job so much. I had found a great fit professionally. I enjoyed my work and my colleagues and had lots of opportunities for growth. Now the bar is set high for all of my future jobs.

Then there are the little things. We have adjusted to living in an apartment better than I expected. Some days I miss just letting the dogs out in the backyard, but overall I do not mind walking our dogs. We are doing fine with less space, but I do miss having a dedicated craft desk. I do not miss having a TV since we can watch shows though Netflix, Hulu, and iTunes.

In six months, I will be reflecting back on my first year in California. I did not plan to live here, but some of the best things in my life are the things that I did not plan.

John and I are pictured near the Golden Gate Bridge on January 8, 2012, shortly before I moved to California. Alex and John are pictured near the Golden Gate Bridge on May 19, 2012.