Dear California...

California Coastline at Laguna Beach by kancp26

As my husband and I prepare to leave Southern California in just 2 days, only 1 day past the 6 month mark of becoming residents here, so much is going through my mind. 

SoCal has always been a part of our lives.  We vacationed here for years and eventually bought a second home in Palm Springs, CA.  Then we moved here, knowing it would be a stop along the way to somewhere else- but not realizing the stop was only going to be short one.

So as we move on, I will bid California farewell with this:

Dear California,
You are beautiful.  It is true.  Your beauty is varied and seemingly endless. 
You are warm and bright.  Your skies are bluer than I could have ever imagined.  
There is just so much to do here.  I now understand why Mark Twain said he wondered how anyone in California could ever die because everyone is so healthy here.
Your attitude is laid back and your people are more excited to greet the weekend or a holiday than anyone else I have ever met.  I am still so surprised to be told  'Happy Weekend' starting on a Thursday!

However, my dear California, I have also learned some truths about you.  You are crowded beyond belief.  Your traffic and costs are out of this world.  Its not fun to try to get to do all the wonderful stuff you have to offer when it's nearly impossible to get to those activities.  It feels like there ought to be another form of currency here so normal people can do such exotic things as buy a house or retire.  And California, your limits on freedom are certainly not for me.  It seems that your people are fine and good with tiny loud places to live and paychecks spread ultra thin while more and more rules drop into their lives via the government.
Oh California, how I wish I could keep your warm sun and live at the beach one day.  How I know that this experience of 6 short months will forever change how I look at life.  I will remember and relish the feeling of knowing that I can make it in a new home.   I will appreciate the fact that there is no perfect place and that everyone must find what works for them.  California, you didn't work for us.  We will visit you and we won't wonder 'what if'.  We are moving on.

Treading Water

So in answer to my own question from my last post, my husband and I ended up near the lake that the dogs like walking around- about 4 houses away actually.  With a peek-a-boo view from the guest room.  Renting a home at the beach was just too expensive, it turned out.  Although it would have been fun to experience the true California coastal scene, it is not in the cards for us right now.  Moving out of the townhouse apartment and dealing with the large deposit on another place has been enough of a drag on our time and energy and bank accounts too!

We are hopeful though that we can get into the swing of things and do more enjoying the sun and fun and less of the sweating while moving everything we own for the second time in less than 2 months!  I can certainly say that touching everything you own three times since we packed up and left Seattle in June makes you want to get rid of a whole lot more and certainly puts things like blooging onto the back burner.  I hope to get back to it as I experience new things that inspire me every day.  And now I hope to have the time for it as well.  It's been good to peek in on my favorite bloggers here and there and see that things are moving on as they do.  I really want to join back in soon!

To Beach Or Not To Beach

Sometimes we fool ourselves into thinking we have it all together.  And then a series of events piles up like traffic on the San Diego freeway and we end up feeling like a great big moron!
No sooner had I patted myself on the back for my great organizational skills on display as I whipped everything into shape faster than lightening when it came to our big move-  I mean who else could sell off half of their stuff, sell their house and get moved over 1200 miles into new place pretty darn seamlessly???  And in 23 days???  Ah, but I forgot one giant detail that has proceeded to glare me in the face and laugh maniacally at my naïveté.

 Folks, we are not apartment people.  Not even for a short term kind of deal.  How in the heck did I manage to forget that I once spent 4 years in a 580 sq. Foot dump of a rental house simply to avoid apartment living???  Not to mention that I have always called them compartments and wondered where the 'apart' part came in!

Sure, I own a vacation condo, but let me assure you- that is completely different.  You don't like your noisy neighbor?  No worries- they or you will be gone soon.  And really, there's never more than half occupancy anyway so that issue is rare.  Plus there's that little issue of ownership- makes a huge difference.  And let's not forget smokers have to live somewhere so naturally they end up next door to me in every apartment I've ever been in.  Llet's just say that my pride in my abilities to organize my own self and issues has taken a giant hit!

So now that we have made the choice to move yet again as I do not wish to join the ranks of my crazy relatives and possibly cause bodily harm to others, I'm feeling a little less than expert at decision making these days.  My husband wants to take the opportunity to move closer to the beach, but that's expensive.  I think I agree with him that we should go ahead and dive into the California culture while we are here.  And yet, I fear being in a smaller place, even though I know I was capable of doing'tiny'in the past.  I just do not want to feel like I have not managed to find the right place to call home- yet again. 

What do you think?  Have I become a 'suburban' girl who can't live without her space?  Or will I regret not having done the beach thing even more?  I'm especially interested in hearing from the beach dwellers out there!!!

A Healing Surprise

'Seascapes' by 9comeback found at freedigitalphotos.net

After 40 years of living in a place that didn't suit me and holds all kinds of crummy stuff that didn't work for me at all, you'd think I wouldn't be so surprised to find that there is so much more for me here in SoCal than I ever could have imagined.  Whew, that was a mouthfull...

And here comes another one... 

What I'm trying to say is that along with seeing the sun on a real daily basis & no more northwest tree and mold allergies & enjoying painfree joints & spending more time on a bicycle than I have in years & having the luxury of being able to swim or do any other outdoor activity EVERY DAMN DAY if I feel like it & no longer feeling cold all the darn time, I have also discovered that even though I thought that being far away from my seriously screwed up family would be a nice side benefit- it turns out I was wrong.

It is SO FRIGGIN' GREAT to know that there is 1200 miles between me and anyone I really don't want knocking at my door.  Seriously, I am beyond happy to find this unexpected wonderfulness is way more than a mere side benefit.  It is just about the most FREEING thing that I have ever experienced. 

Yeah, just had to let y'all know!

Will I Ever Get Back To Blogging? Absolutely!

AND I'll be making the rounds to your blogs as well, just as soon as I can!  Thanks for hanging in there with me while I get myself moved and functioning again. :)

Of course it's been an adventure, as all moves are.  We were so happy to leave gray Seattle behind and we headed straight to Palm Springs, where we could relax for a bit while we waiting for our stuff to get shipped 1200 miles to our new home in Orange County, CA.

We picked up Nathan and his Dad in Oregon along the way.  We never told Nathan about the move until that day and he was so surprised!  He was thrilled to know that he will be visiting us only in California now as he loves it down here.

Nathan is getting so big!

 

While in Palm Springs, we also entertained my husband's mother who had flown in from New York.  It took her a while to realize that the states out here are not small, so she couldn't just visit a bunch all at once.  Also, she had trouble learning how to just take it easy and enjoy her surroundings without having to run around everywhere like a chicken with her head cut off.  Ah, New Yorkers- ya gotta love 'em!  I let her know that we would not be getting up at the crack of dawn to go, see, and do everything in sight after she woke us up slamming doors and talking loudly in her New Jersey accent on the first morning!  After a couple of days, she did calm down a bit..... and she admitted that it was more fun to hang out in the pool than to try and run around in the summer heat.

We did take in some new sights that we've never visited before in the Palm Springs area.

First we drove way up to Lake Hemet:

Lake Hemet is near Idyllwild and the town of Hemet,CA.  It sits at about 8500 feet above sea level and is always about 30 degrees cooler than Palm Springs.  So on the day we visited, Lake Hemet was a cool 78 degrees while in Palm Springs it was 109.

We also finally visited the Palm Springs tram.  Another place to escape the high summer temps. in the desert.

This is the view from the top, looking down over the desert floor.

And this is how different the scenery is up there in the mountains, compared to what we have going on in Palm Springs.  No palm trees and no desert!

All in all things have been remarkably smooth and we have been blessed to be able to take some time in between the first half of the move and on this end in Orange County.  Nathan and his Dad are now gone.  They took the train home.  Nathan was so sorry to go and he and his Dad have already floated the idea of moving down here too!  Meanwhile, I am surrounded by boxes everywhere and spend most of my days on the phone with service people or changing addresses.  Our place here is temporary and really tiny.  We have basically no furniture.  Our outside surroundings are gorgeous and the dogs think they have hit hog heaven as we walk around the lake area here every day and I still can't believe that I actually get to live here.  Even in the midst of the mess that is our post move current condition, having the sun shining and so many things to do is a great way to spend time.  The unpacking can wait!

A Terrible Blogger

...but an awesome mover!

After waiting for so darn long to be able to get to a warm weather place, this move sure is happening fast!  We found out that we would be moving for sure when a final offer came in from my husband's soon to be new workplace on May 29th.  We will be moved out of our house completely by June 25th, with said house being sold and closed no later than June 27th.  Now that's some seriously fast moving.

Everything is whizzing right along and happening as it should.  We are so excited to be seeing this through!  In the meantime, it doesn't leave any room for anything extra at all.  No time for playing around.  No time to think twice.  Just get rid of stuff, pack and move, and repeat.   That means my blog visiting is seriously lacking.  I will be back at it just as soon as I am in the new place, which should be shortly after the 4th of July as we are spending time with family in Palm Springs for the holiday.  I am so looking forward to getting back to more blogging interaction.

Let me leave you with a wonderful little coincidence:  while picking up some dog supplies at our local pet store, I ran into Tanner's trainer.  She told me that the English Bulldog that had trained along side him and his owner will be moving to SoCal as well.  It turns out Tanner's good buddy will be in the very next town over, a little closer to the beach.  We are already planning to have them meet up to play!  How cool is that?!

Let's Try This Again!

For anyone who tried to head over to a new blog that I had planned to use, I am sorry but that just didn't work out.  I have reposted below the main info. from the one post that I managed to get out before I realized that the new blog was a bust...

We have 'jumped at' the chance to have a life in 'the sun'!  In just 24 days my husband and I will leave the Seattle area and make a move down to Orange County in Southern California.  We are looking for a warm weather lifestyle and seeking to challenge ourselves to reach higher than we ever have before.

This follows a long journey that started with a desire to move to Texas and a proclamation that California was not for us!  After purchasing a second home in Palm Springs, CA and realizing that there was a good reason why we kept coming back to SoCal every time we had the chance, we could not deny that SoCal is where we belong.  At this moment SoCal feels right for just a time, but we don't know how long that time will actually be.  It feels good to be open to whatever life brings.

Please join me as the journey continues...

I now have just 3 weeks to go before the big move.  Yesterday we started the process of selling off half of everything we own.  It went great!  We sold so much that I had to really dig for stuff for today's sale.  Then I plan to take a 'break' and just pack stuff over the weekend. 

Thanks for hanging in there with me and there will be a change-up of this blog soon, but I will continue to post only HERE!

OK, So That Didn't Work Out At All....

Just an update for anyone who attempted to move on over to a new blog that I had wanted to start:  ugh, what a mess!  I will be changing this blog up soon and THIS will remain the ONLY place that I post at.  I tried the whole google plus thing and ended up having to delete the account, (which was way too much like facebook anyway and that stuff just scares me) because it was trying to take over my computer and crashing it like crazy!
Anyway, I will post as I can here soon and let you know how our SoCal move is going.  I am up to my neck in that for now so I will be here few and far between for now!

If You're Happy And You Know It...

Don't question it!

The explanation is long and complicated and I won't go into it all right now. 

Just understand that for most of my life I have needed to be a 'planner'.  I needed to keep the balls in the air and moving in the right direction.  Nobody else was going to do it and there really was true risk to losing track of all the balls; risks that involve loss of my family, my dignity and my actual physical life, starting at a very young age.  So I took up the job and I got very good at.  Simply the best, you might say.

In taking up a 'job' that I never really wanted, but didn't see any way out of, I managed to lose a lot of myself.  After doing said 'job' for years and years, I forgot about that other real me that was hiding deep inside.

I might have forgotten, but it turns out she's still there!
She was there all along- just waiting for me to call her back out to play!

Silhouette Of Child On Beach, Anusorn P nacho

 found at freedigitalphotos.net

The hidden me laughs as everyone has been asking, "why California now?" 
"I thought you were dead set on Texas" they say. 
"Weren't there a lot of things about California that bug you?" they ask.

Frankly, there's a lot of things that bug me about a lot things.  Oh well!

We've loved California enough to buy a second home there.  And that's not a small thing.  Also, California has been good to us over the years.  It's where we renewed our vows 7 years ago.  It's where most of my best memories of fun vacations with friends have happened.  It's a place that, despite its imperfections, my inner me has always truly loved.

And I know now that I deserve to go down to SoCal and enjoy it; for whatever it's worth and for however long it works for me.  There are no rules and I'm not required to keep any balls in the air.

Do you sometimes fight happiness?  Do the rules that you've made for yourself over the years sometimes get in the way?

Dear Universe, We're Ready Now

Lest you forget, as I am so prone to 'detours' along the way, this blog was mainly created to document and share my process of moving out of state- to a place that suits my inner self a bit better than the 'lovely in many ways- yet not quite for me' Northwest/Seattle area that I was born into and am still currently residing in.

This week as I slave away at making my typical Northwest jungle of a yard (yes, I had a friend from Texas ask me why people don't ever trim their yards out here and I had to reveal that we do trim them all the time and then the Sasquatch comes along at night and sprinkles the vegetation with magic dust that makes it all grow back to where it was before) come into some type of less unkempt shape, my husband is working over 3 different job possibilities.  Any one of these jobs will be good for us in some form or another and they will all get us to SoCal.  My husband is in different places within the process with each of these jobs and there is no guarantee that any one of them will actually be offered to him.  However, let's face it, the odds are good that he can get at least one of these to become a bonafide offer.

I am hopeful and accepting of the idea that whatever job comes around, it will be what we need.  I am also simply amazed at how this process has resulted in my husband becoming more secure in who he is and what he has to offer.  I am just so pleased to see a tiny bit of ego coming around for that man.  He has worked hard and deserves to believe in himself.

This process has been crazy.  From coming into the idea that I could ever even think of leaving the only place I've ever called home, to landing on the fact that we love Texas in ways we never could have imagined, to realizing that for this particular season of life Southern California is the right place for us.  This has been a roller coaster of surprises and realizations.  And my husband and I both sense that it is all coming to a resting spot soon.  We have good plans for what each of us would like to do for the next 3 years or so and a direction for where to go over the next decade.  We are excited to find out what the universe has in store!

My Goodness, How Did That Happen???

Yikes, it's been literally weeks since I've posted anything at all here.  I can't believe it. 
Maybe it was that whole Christmas and New Years holidays thing.  I did actually find myself enjoying the whole process of the holiday season this year....
Or maybe it was the keeping up with homeschooling.  Oh, I'm still learning on that one...
Or could it have been the planning for a great big ol' double 40th seventies themed birthday party?  I've hired my friend, the Elvis impersonator, and yes- it's gonna' be awesome!
Actually I have to admit that the last couple of trips down to Palm Springs have left me sun soaked, adventured to the point of injury twice and yet extra relaxed- dare I say it- even just a tiny bit zoned out of real life.  Heck yeah, even doing detailed cleaning of scrubbing floors and washing windows feels a whole lot better in the sun somehow.  Yes, this doesn't look a bit like my everyday life back in the northwest, but somehow it's beginning to feel more and more like home. 

I'm pondering many thoughts on how this 'California living thing' affects my overall views on life and what this means.  Yes, sometimes I am even capable of deep thoughts while basking in the sun and I'm wondering why it's taken me so long to get to this point.  Ah well, in the scheme of things, 40 years isn't so long to get to your own truth, is it?!

At any rate, it's time to get back at it.  So I think I will!

Look Out World, Here I Come!

A recent fortune received after some tasty kung pao

Sometimes we have to get back to our core.  That inner 'thing' that tells us what we really want is a powerful tool when we actually pay attention to it.

It's easy to get caught up in over-thinking stuff and hoping to do what we 'ought' to do, all the 'shoulds'.

The facts are what they are in any situation; and yet how those facts pertain to our lives can be something else entirely.

So for me and mine, for now, the most important thing is that we are all on the same page.  We're coming out and declaring to the world that we are going to make a move to Southern California!

My husband and I have spent a lot of time in California, making wonderful memories and strengthening the bonds of family and friendship.  California is our go to, for reliable weather and an easy going attitude.  California has been pretty good to us over the years.

We need to leave the Seattle area.  Hiding out from the grey and the rain 9 months out of the year has never been our bag.  We are constantly seeking out sun.  The snippy 'Seattle freeze' attitude is real.  Frankly we're tired of spending time trying to avoid interaction with people who want very badly to let you know how much better they are because they are greener, donate more to charity and are just way smarter than you.

There are always things we can complain about in any place we choose to live.  It's time to stop complaining and move on. While Washington is beautiful in many ways and Californians can be dopey and apathetic, there is no perfection anywhere.  Only different experiences that can fit us better or worse at different points in our lives.

This feeling of being ready for change is so strong now.  I am familiar with it.  It is the exact same feeling I had when we bought the Palm Springs condo one year ago in November. 

That turned out to be absolutely one of the best things that my husband and I have ever done!

Never Say Never

I don't care if I end up looking/sounding stupid. 
I really don't.
Seriously, have a laugh.  This one's on me.  
And we'll all feel better for it. 
I'll laugh right along with you.

Ever get the feeling you've been swimming against the current and then found yourself wondering why?  Sometimes we fight and fight and fight against something, only to find that the thing we thought we ought to avoid at all costs is the very thing that we really need to be doing.  In fact, it's what is meant to be.  At least for a particular season or two of life.

So here goes. 

Through a series of unfortunate experiences with a surprise opportunity that turned out to be a non-issue with a company that still doesn't know exactly what they are looking for, my husband and I did manage to learn something very important. 

Both of us are actually very open to the idea of living in California.
Stop laughing.  Seriously, you can stop now.
I know, I know... I wrote this: Why Southern California Isn't Really A Full Time Option

This would not be forever.  Not even for more than a few years or so.
But after honestly looking at the possibility of living in Southern California, my husband and I both came to the same conclusion- the annoying things that have kept us from moving to California, like crazy politics and a high cost of living are already haunting us daily right here in Seattle.

While we would not accomplish the true fit of home that Texas feels like for us, nor some key long term objectives- we could manage to put on something warmer and more easy going and wear it in comfort for a time.  And of course there is the fact that there are more options for where my husband is in his career right now than there are in Texas.  So it just makes sense in a lot of ways.

I guess I'm saying I've realized that sometimes an in-between is good enough for awhile.  And it sure beats the feeling that I have every time I come back 'home' from Palm Springs to the Northwest- that feeling that has grown stronger and stronger for my husband and I.  That feeling that simply says:  We can't stay here anymore. 

Running The Gauntlet?

So we've lived for the last 3 years planning to move to Texas, as soon as we possibly could.
The original plan was hatched by way of several visits to Texas and many in depth discussions that left my husband and I feeling as if we had finally found a place that felt like home.  That place also being a good fit for our desires to see the sun more often and spend a lot less money to merely experience life was clearly also a bonus.

 Sunflower With Sunglasses by jiggoja

found at freedigitalphotos.net

 
For various and sundry reasons that plan has not worked out- yet.

That's not to say that my husband and I have not had many interesting adventures in these past few years while pursuing our goal of moving to Texas.  We have been to places that we once thought of as 'other possibilities' to help us reach our goal of finding a home that is mostly sunny and not so expensive.  Some of this has been rather comical and some of it has been a bit sad.  However, it has all been a learning experience.  And that is often what life is all about.

We have learned that my husband's chosen actuarial profession is prolific in jobs along the two coasts.  We have learned that it is not impossible to find a job in the middle if you are patient and if you are pretty much done getting to the highest level of said chosen career, as there are very few people who are capable of doing this (about 5,400 in the country).  In other words in 2-3 more years we will have a pretty good chance of securing a job for whatever my husband would like to do within his chosen career path, in just about whatever place we really want to be.

In the meantime, my husband and I have purchased a condo in Palm Springs, CA and we seek sun there whenever possible- which means we get to have something that resembles the life we are really looking for about 6 weeks a year.

And that's certainly a big improvement.  However, it still seems like there should be another way to improve the overall picture of what we are seeking without having to wait around for another 2-3 years.

Although we can't actually live at our place in Palm Springs, CA because there are not any actuarial jobs out there in the desert, it seems that we may have found a way to avoid that 2-3 year wait to attain at least part of our goal.

In our many and varied trips down the coast with my nephew and the dogs in tow, we have discovered that although we don't see any financial benefit to being in California we sure do feel a lot better overall when we are there.  We get out from under our sweatshirts and flannel hoods and meet people who seem much more varied from the brooding types who reside here in the Seattle area.  We are just happier overall.

So now the question is:  Would living in California full time be a nice Disney, sandy beach, sunshine-filled diversion for a couple of years or would I end up feeling as if I had to run the gauntlet of more liberal politics than I can even imagine handling to simply get to what I really want which of course is living in Texas?

image found at Wikimedia Commons

Why Southern California Isn't Really A Full Time Option

Most of you are well aware of my quest to leave the dark and damp Northwest and get myself to living in a warm weather place.  I have many reasons for this and the warm sun is only a part of this dream, although a big part.  The other two main reasons are a lower cost of living and overall lifestyle. 

Southern California is a place that my husband and I love to visit.  We have been there at least 9 times over the last 15 years.  We love Disneyland, the coast, the desert, the weather.  We are even planning on purchasing a second home in Palm Springs this year.  There are actually quite a few companies that my husband could work for in the L.A. area.  So what's the issue?  Why wouldn't we consider moving to California? 

Well... being as I am a big believer in the idea that freedom and common sense really do belong together, it's time for me to come out and say that even if California could somehow come down to earth with its cost of living, I would never actually be able to live there as a permanent resident. 

Allow me to explain.  If you would kindly click on this link: http://santamonica.patch.com/articles/supervisors-no-frisbees-on-county-beaches-26a4fef2 and try to get through the entire article without dying of laughter, I think you'll understand.

Turns out I like Frisbees and footballs year round and I can't even imagine having to bring a measuring device into my next sand digging expedition!  Californians, I love ya, but you need to get real...

All The Disney Details- The End

Thank y'all so much for indulging me in my little endeavor to preserve the memories of my nephew's first trip to Disneyland and in turn share way too many pictures of said event.  This is to be the last installment of my series on this subject.  Truly, thanks for the patience.

By the last day at the Disneyland resort, Nathan had really gotten comfortable with the place and pretty much knew where everything was.  He was feelin' quite at home that last morning when we noticed he was wearing the remainders of his ice cream all over his face- yes, ice cream that we had let him eat with his breakfast as we were cleaning out the hotel room fridge.

I have some really good excuses for allowing this.  1)  First and foremost, we were on vacation and that totally allows for eating ice cream for breakfast.  2)  He saw the ice cream before I had the chance to throw it out.  3)  I had been awakened by the alarm clock next door at 6am, that proceeded to go off for over 15 minutes before I could get anybody in that room to shut that sucker down.  I guess there must have been one heck of a party going on over there the night before because these people seemed a little more than hung over.  So I was in a weakened state, what can I say?

It turned out to be quite a stellar day for eating all around when we had lunch at the 'Big Thunder Ranch Barbeque' all you can eat place inside the park right before we used our fast passes to take another ride on 'California Screamin'- the roller coaster with the big loop and the 55 miles per hour.  Yeah, this was Nathan's idea.

Amazingly, we made it through without any encore performances from our lunch.

As the trip wound down, there was a definite sense of how grateful we all were for how well things had gone.  After such a long build up to this trip (with all the complications that my sister had thrown our way, it had been a couple of years since I had promised this to Nathan) we were all making sure to take in everything we could to save the memories in our hearts and know that this was just the beginning of a positive new future to come.

Nathan's Dad and my husband took the opportunity to buy a few more souvenirs that Nathan had been eyeballing, including a flashing light saber and a light up spinning R2-D2.

He used his cool new toys to help him enjoy the 'Fantasmic' show at the rivers of America in Disneyland.  This show was even more impressive than 'World Of Color' had been.  It has the light show on the fountains along with live Disney characters and boats added to it.

Here is a good sampling of the show. (You may want to pause the music player.)




Yes indeed, this kid was happy and satisfied.

On the way back home we realized just how lucky we had been.  The weather for us had cooperated with our plans quite magically, after all.  When we were on the road, the weather was miserable.  Both ways.  But while we were actually at our destination we were treated to blue skies and warmth.  So when we had to take a 3 hour detour to avoid a snowy mountain pass on the way back, I took it as a reminder of just how fortunate we had been.  Plus it allowed us to show Nathan the Redwoods.

One extra stop for some fresh air and a break from the windy roads and Nathan was able to give me the 'No Hurl' guarantee.  To think that car sickness almost got to him after all those crazy rides! 

We all made it back to the comfort of home, safe and sound, that night.  What a trip it had been!