Today is the 2 year anniversary of when Husband and I crammed all our belongings into a huge Uhaul truck and headed West. AKA: moved to California. I can't even believe it's been that long. When I think about it, it feels so much longer than 2 years, and at the same time, like there's no way possible that it's been 2 years already. Sawyer has spent the majority of his life in this house, in California. We've had more Christmas's in this house, than any other house.
So, as a way to acknowledge that the home, this home, that I thought would just be a jumping point for us and we wouldn't be here longer than 12 months... has really become more permanent than we both ever suspected, I (no this sentence isn't over yet) present you with a list.
Yes, a list. Of all the things that I've had to adjust to since moving to good ol' California.
1. Spiders - Never thought it was possible. But when I use to see a spider I'd scream bloody murder and run for my life. Where as now, I see a spider, gasp, but I'm able to calmly communicate to Husband there is an impostor in our house that needs to die STAT.
2. Dust - With no central air conditioning it didn't take long for me to realize my once weekly dusting really needed to be 5x a day dusting. I could dust, and dust, and dust some more and within an hour my beautiful black furniture will have gathered those lovely white little particles I've grown to love oh-so-much. Not really. I don't really love dust.
3. Beach bums - The homeless really, in all their glory. And not just the kind that scream and curse and carry on full conversations with themselves. But the kids of rich parents that just want to hang out in public areas and beg for money. Well, they don't always beg, sometimes they taunt and chase you if you can't find your giving nature so quickly.
4. Fleas - Yup. I never knew this about California but they have a huge flea problem. And not just the kind that get on your dog, but sand fleas too. Fleas that attach to you, bite you, come home with you and then have little flea babies. It's cute really...again, not really. Poor Sawyer has had the worst of it, no medicine seems to repel every single flea out there. And, unfortunately for Husband (who attracts fleas like a dog) there isn't medicine for him at all.
5. No AC - At least in this part of the state, any-who. I haven't quite fully adjusted to this actually. Every summer/fall I dread the heat wave that inevitably comes. That keeps me up at night, tossing and turning and slowly stripping off articles of clothing piece by piece. I still can't help but laugh every time someone says, "You don't need AC in SB! It doesn't get hot enough."
To them I say: "Sir or Madam, the wet spots under my arms detest that statement, as does the droplets of sweat gathering across my forehead, as does the thermometer which reads 80-95 degrees with humidity." But here I am. Another summer coming and Husband and I have started looking at portable AC units. So, yeah, I'd say I've somewhat adjusted, at least my expectations. Maybe one day I'll be delusional enough myself to say SB doesn't need AC...but then again, look at the length of this paragraph in comparison to the others.
6. Beach life - I live a good 3 min walk to the beach. And when I say beach, I mean sand between my toes, waves crashing on my feet, beach. Which means I also have the pleasure of listening to the sound of waves crashing when I sleep, or when I walk out my front door, or when I open a window. I've completely adjusted to leaving my windows open all year round.
7. Beach hair - I wont pretend like I've ever been that girl to have the perfect hair. In high school I use to try a lot harder. But now...it's not that I've gotten lazier but that my taste has changed and I just find the natural look more appealing. So the laid back, California waves has been awesome! The fact that I can let my hair air dry, in all it's natural frizzy glory, is just the bomb. (...sometimes it's annoying when I want to get dressed up but the humidity has other plans. Also, the wind hates fancy hair. They work together to insure all the time you spent making your hair fancy will, indeed, go wasted.)
8. The Habit - Is it sad that a restaurant/fast food place is on my list? It's delicious! The burgers are like $3.00 and you don't leave feeling greasy and disgusting after. It's like a legit home cooked burger. Plus their onion rings, forget about it! They're mighty tasty. Even their chicken salads are so good and filling. If we ever run out of food and don't want to go grocery shopping, Habit is our go-to spot. I love it. And when we move, I will miss it.
9. Dog friendly - I've noticed you can get away with taking your dog anywhere in this city. Nordstroms? No biggy. Dinner? Grab a table outside. So many businesses and people are so warm and friendly to pets here. I love it! It means so much to me knowing I can bring Sawyer with me and that 99% of the time we'll run into at least 1 or 2 shop owners that have a doggy water dish and treats for him. Plus, it makes him feel pretty special too.
10. Vacation central - It's so close to Disneyland, 6 Flags, Sea World, Catalina, an airport 20 min away, even skiing and snowboarding are available. You may have noticed on the blog, but Husband and I have gotten a traveling bug this year. It's like we've just realized we have all these fun and amazing experiences right at our fingertips! And we're ready to start taking full advantage of them.
So basically you can see it's like any relationship; a little give and a little take. But I've been on a mission to make our time here the most enjoyable it can be. It's not always easy, but I find the work it takes, is every little bit worth it.
