Adventures in the city that I love
When I was younger my family lived in the San Francisco bay area. I LOVED living here. I loved the weather, trips to Great America, and day excursions to the city for some Boudin’s Sourdough Bread (hey, I was only 9!). I remember when we moved away so my dad could take a job in Albuquerque, NM-I thought to myself “someday I will come back here”. It’s like that children’s book “Miss Rumphius”? I always said that someday I would come back and make my home by the bay.
Well it seems that I am one of those lucky people who get to see their dream come true. I live just 40 miles south of San Francisco. It’s the most amazing feeling to be within a short driving distance of the beach, to be able to take Reese to the park in the middle of January in a light jacket, and to wear sandals all year round. I can’t imagine calling any other place home. Sure, I miss friends and family in Utah, but California is where my heart is. It’s like this incredible romance, my relationship to this place. Sometimes we are on the outs, like when I’m stuck in traffic, or I have to write a rent check that is in the thousands instead of hundreds, or when I miss my family so terribly it’s difficult to breathe. Most of the time we are old friends, and I am completely content. Then every once and awhile I am completely caught off guard with this overwhelming love for this place I call home and I find myself thinking “My goodness, I’m madly in love with this place, and I always will be”.
Today a very close friend invited me to come to the San Francisco Zoo with her and her two kids. I decided to throw the nap schedule out the window for the day and Reese and I joined them. It was so freeing to just go and hope Reese slept in the car and stroller, but if she didn’t, who cares? I think that by getting Reese the sleep she needs most of the time, I am then able to do things like this from time to time and Reese is usually fine and not a complete mess without her naps:)
It was a great day and I had a blast. Reese was perfect, barely making a peep and sleeping in the carseat all the way there and all the way back. Plus, I got to take a bunch of pictures of Elena and her adorable kids. Then, on the drive home I took in the amazing views of the ocean, the San Francisco hills, and the light mist hanging over Half Moon Bay. That’s when it hit me, yet again, how much I love calling the bay area my home. *Sigh*
That’s exactly how I feel about living in Utah. Tho’ I have lived in other places, I always felt like Utah was my home and always wanted to live here.
Tho’ having grown up in Calif. I really thought I couldn’t live anyplace else, until we moved to Albuquerque. For the first year we were there, I would say to myself in amazement, “We’re finally here, and I love it.” I still love Albuquerque, but I am so happy to be here in Utah. After having lived in other places besides CA, I wonder how I stood it for so long.
But I must say, I am glad you love it so much there, because it appears that you will be there for the duration. There’s nothing worse than hating where you live and not being able to do anything about it. Looks like you have “bloomed where you are planted”.
It was nice to see Elena again. Didin’t know she was pregnant. Cute kids.
Nice post, Meg! I’m glad you had fun at the zoo. Reese is cute as always, and it’s nice to feel like you can take her someplace fun all day and not stress about it.
I’m deciding right now whether I can take Mackenzie for a four-day New York City Extravaganza when she’s 4 months old. My sisters-in-law (on Scott’s side) are getting together and I’m not sure how doable the trip will be with Mackenzie. Your post may just have inspired me to be bold!
I’m feeling sorta jealous that you’re so at home and in love with where you live. I feel like I’ve been a nomad for the past few years. I’m at home here in our little duplex, but not in Orem. I like it, but it’s not home. And I don’t want to go to Riverton…too awkward there. It’s where the parents live, but it’s not my home anymore.
Someday Sam and I will find a place that truly suits us and feels like we’ve come home. I’d like living in Salt Lake again, but I’m not sure if that’s where we’ll end up.
I’m so glad you’re enjoying it out there. Sam’s never been to San Francisco so we’ll most definitely need to come out for a visit. Perhaps after the Baby arrives. :)