All Good Things Must Come To An End

And no, it’s not my marriage! That is still intact, thank you very much.

I just hit my one year anniversary of being in California. Man, I wish I was able to celebrate that. Moving here was such a major life change, and the adventures I had planned were endless. And most of them got cancelled thanks to over half of my time here sheltering in place. California has basically been closed since early March. Lucky me!

All of the east coast guests I was hoping to host, wine country weekends, hikes through redwood forests and family holiday celebrations, all canceled. Luckily I had a few visitors and I’m so grateful that they were able to come.

Needless to say, I was very unmotivated to even try to start a new design business. The whole thing has been quite depressing. E-Design just doesn’t provide the same level of happiness to my design soul.

After this long ass journey of my husband taking a job here THREE years ago, my staying behind in NJ so our youngest could graduate from the town she grew up in last year, to finally being able to join him and start something new for us, I was SO HAPPY to actually be here. I really love it here. I really don’t want to leave. I don’t think Ozzy does either.

But.

COVID-19 has shut down all of the big tech company offices like my husband’s (many until July of 2021), and the whole work from home order is permanent for other big ones. We are here in CA because of his proximity to headquarters, and now he doesn’t ever get to go there. For a really long time. 

And now the fires and smoke and heatwaves that are forcing us to remain inside with the windows closed to protect our lungs and the air conditioning off to conserve energy. Sheesh. 

But.

We are isolated from our kids, all of whom live in the NJ/NYC area. The other part of the country that was majorly impacted by the virus. That’s fun.

But.

We are really far away from our extended family, which normally would just be a flight away if we had to get there, but flying is just WAY too stressful these days. It used to be under 5 hours to drive from NJ to NH or ME, and it’s not really an option now.

But.

Have you heard the rumors about how freaking expensive it is to live in Silicon Valley? Paying the price might be worth it for proximity to work and to all of the places we love to go, like San Francisco, Monterey, Napa, Sausalito, Muir Woods, the Pacific Ocean and so on, but with most of that taken away right now, why spend the extra (EXTRA!!!) money to be here?

On the other hand…

He can work from home anywhere in the country now. I can work again. I am excited about the opportunities for my new business in the new location. Unlike here in CA, I have a LOT of east coast contacts, design friends and resources to tap into, as well as people I know who could benefit from hiring me.

And…

The Atlantic Ocean is also beautiful. The White Mountains have their own awe inspiring views. Boston is a great city and easy to get to. The best Lobster Rolls are a stone’s throw in any direction. We won’t be the outcast Pats/Sox/Celts/Bruins fans.

And…

We will be close to not only our families, but our life long friends. Even with a mask and social distancing, it will be nice to see them in real life and not in a FaceTime or WebEx chat (never Zoom, the evil competition). Our kids will be a short driving distance away, as well as my NJ friends!

So…

After twenty three years away, I’m sure a lot has changed, but a lot remains the same. New Hampshire is still “home”. I honestly never thought this would happen, at least not before retirement. I never imagined we would be going home at this point in my life.

And…

Funny though, as of three weeks ago, I don’t think we were ever considering actually buying a house! Yet, here we are. Something popped up on the market and we snagged it sight unseen, along with all of it’s imperfections and quirkiness. I am absolutely FILLED with anxiety about the fact we just spent the most money we have ever spent in our lives on something we didn’t even see in person. This is crazy! Talk about impulsive. We are due to close on it next month. 

And…

Now here we are. I’m anxious. I’m sad. I’m excited. I’m depressed. I’m happy. I’m stressed.

I didn’t expect to leave this rental house for a long time, and I basically unpacked EVERYTHING and was really trying to make it a home. Suddenly I am on very limited time to pack everything back up, remove my personal mark on this house (remember the One Room Challenge I did??) and get ready for the movers who arrive in 24 days. WHAT??

Of course I want to try to squeeze in as much of California as I can, if the smoke from the lightning fires wasn’t so bad. I’m running out of time!

As great as California has been, and as much as I love it here, the fleeting affair is over. At least for the next year or so. 

Yeah, who knows?

We could be back in CA next year. Or Europe. Hahaha. I’m kidding, but am I really? 2020 has thrown us all for a loop. Who knows what 2021 will bring. We know nothing is forever, so we are just going to make the most of it all and enjoy the adventures. Maybe you’ll follow along. Might be fun.

Except the packing.

Packing SUCKS. 3 whole house pack ups in 2 years. I’m kinda over it. I spent several months getting rid of packing materials and boxes in the weekly recycling, because there is no room for stuff like that in this small space. And now I curse daily (you’re not surprised, I know) about actually spending money on packing materials and boxes. It’s SO ANNOYING.

And yes…

I plan to drive from CA to NH with Ozzy, my plants, and the booze. Basically the only valuables I own.