I intended to write my “wrap-up” post while I was still in
CA, but things just didn’t work out that way. We were so busy
during the last few days, it was almost silly. We were packing up all the
things we accumulated in that tiny apartment over the six months, which was A
LOT. The actual move was quite stressful with stupid shenanigans at the
airport as usual. I am happy to report that Penny handled this flight
much better than she did back in January.
So now, months later, it’s time for me to reflect on our
time in California.
When I moved there, I was having terrible headaches from the
stress of the unknown. I quit my job at SciMedica and did not have a
clear plan for what I was going to do for work. In a time when people are
begging for work, I was quitting my job. I was prepared to find work at
the Gap or Starbucks if need be. I was very stressed about moving to a
place where I know absolutely no one and did not have a job. But as we
all know, I was able to gain not just a job, but a career, when I joined SAP in
February. I credit this adventure in California as being the catalyst for
this very important chapter in my work life. I honestly do not believe
that I would be at SAP right now had Dirk and I not taken this leap.
During these six months, I also learned a lot in terms of
patience and coordination. Dirk and I lived in a tiny apartment and
shared one car. In the beginning, Dirk was the only person I spoke to
each day. There was no place to escape to have a few minutes to
myself. We had to carefully plan our schedule so that no person would be
stranded without the set of wheels when needed. I think I took a lot for
granted before this trip. I took my house for granted and I took my
little Sonata for granted. Now that we’re home, we fully appreciate these
luxuries.
Dirk and I also strengthened our relationship. It’s
hard to not get closer under those circumstances. Before we met
Ali and Jan, we were like living on a deserted island, except that it wasn’t
deserted. What I mean by that is, when you know absolutely no one in an
entire metro area, it’s very easy to feel isolated. In some ways,
it was kind of refreshing to just feel anonymous and under the radar. But
in other ways, it was depressing and lonely. Dirk and I only had each
other for a while, and we had to make it work. It made me value my
friends and family even more. And, like I said, it made Dirk and I
closer (and eventually led to our engagement. yayyyyyy!)
I stretched myself in many different ways. Because of
this trip:
- I am building a new career.
- I started to hike.
- I became more physically active.
- I took my first international trip completely solo.
- I started to scrutinize my environmental impact.
I can’t think of many other experiences in my life that have
had such interesting and long-lasting impact on my life.
I loved every minute of blogging. I love sharing
the nuances of my life with you all and I am crazy excited that I have this
amazing account of our time in CA. In fact, I love blogging so much that
I have parlayed this little hobby into an exciting new gig (I hate that word).
For the next yearish, I am going to be the next bridal blogger on
partyspace.com! So now, you lucky ducks, you get to read about every
single excruciating detail about my wedding planning process! If you think you are
going to be able to squeeze in a conversation about something non-wedding
related, FORGET IT. It’s all weddings, all the time.
But seriously now, thank you for reading There Ya Go and
thank you in advance for supporting me on partyspace.com!
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