We actually did it- we are officially San Franciscans! In mid-July, we drove from Texas to California over 4.5 days. We took it slow. We have found that after having a child that everything takes three times as long, so why should a road trip be any different? Our first stop, 3 hours down the road, was Abilene to see Kip’s family. We had a lovely night with them, complete with a yummy seafood boil. The next day we started our big trip a little later than we anticipated, but still made our daily goal. We figured we spend 3 nights on the road. We did not make hotel reservations, but just had goals of where we would like to be each day, and would then Priceline a hotel when we got close to a city that we felt would be good to stop. We figured if we could drive approximately 8 hours each 24 hour period, we would be making good time, and it worked fine for us. We didn’t quite make our goal the second day, but we planned some wiggle room in our trip in case this happened.
There is something so liberating about driving across the country and seeing how other people live. That is one of my most favorite things about travel-- seeing what others do, where the shop, how they live, how the dress, and what makes up their daily routines and everyday life. What seems so boring and mundane to them can hold such allure to someone seeing it for the first time. Or gratitude for where you live and how you live. I love that.
It had been a while since I had been on a big road trip like that. It made we want to drive more places in the future. But let’s be real, sometimes flying is just easier, especially when it means burning vacation days. But that’s why it was such a good trip for Kip and I- we weren’t burning vacation days! It was the first time in forever that we both did not have daily work related responsibilities or jobs for that matter! It was a fun way to start our yearlong adventure. We had good conversations, a book on tape, french fries, and plenty of (potty) breaks. All necessities on a road trip! Oh and we toured too many truck stops, which Luke loved #futuretrucker? #letshopenot.
Our most fun stop was the Grand Canyon. We stopped there for few hours and had a nice dinner at the south entrance. If you have never been, it was definitely worth the trip. It was amazing to see a natural wonders after a long day of travel!
For the most part, Luke did really well. He would get tired of his car seat, so frequent stops were a must. Also, we both spent a lot of time in the back seat with Luke keeping him entertained. We may have listened to Praise Baby over 300 times. It put him to sleep like clockwork. Seriously!
Our last day, we just had four hours to drive. We drove from Bakersfield to San Francisco. We were somewhat surprised at how much agriculture is in this part of California. When we were on this road, we passed no fewer than 50 tomato trucks. They were all smaller trucks that were uncovered so you could literally see mounds of tomatoes. This highway was littered with tomatoes that leaped out- I’m surprised we didn’t have a few tomatoes on our windshield by the time we got to SF. #sundriedtomatoesanyone? We also passed trucks of garlic- and you could totally smell the garlic-y goodness before you even saw the truck.
Driving in from Oakland to SF was pretty memorable. The Golden Gate definitely is the more popular bridge in the Bay Area, but the Oakland Bridge, or Bay Bridge, is pretty incredible as well.
All in all, the move went really smooth. #whew. When we pulled into our new neighborhood, our parking permit signs were posted, our moving truck arrived just as planned, and our movers showed up early. A few IKEA trips and days spent unpacking, we were officially moved in! Our across-the-hall neighbors told us we have a big apartment. I am still shocked at that! We still feel it is so small. It’s definitely a challenge to downsize, especially after adding a sweet little baby to our family. Luke is still at the age where we have bulky things. Not only did we have to downsize the amount of things that we brought to California, but also we had to downsize our furniture. We brought out king size bed (downsizing our bed size was CLEARLY not an option), but that meant we could not take any of our bedroom furniture. Enter IKEA. I never thought I would be nearly 32 years old buying IKEA furniture, but hey, it will work for this year and will be great furniture for Luke in our next home. I actually was surprised at the quality of the dresser. I was imaging some crappy, fake wood, but it actually nicer than I thought. I'm still tweaking things around the house, but I do that all the time, so that's nothing new.
We’ve had a good start. The weather has been amazing, and we really love our new city. I have been surprised to say how quickly we have adapted. In some ways, our life in Texas already seems so distant. That is not to say it has not been hard and challenging at times. It certainly has. Everything is new, and nothing is familiar. And sometimes you crave the familiar--to know how to do something, to see something or someone that you know, or at least is familiar to you. While strolling on Chestnut Street the other day, we walked into a Baby Gap, and it was weird how familiar it felt. This is totally random, but you know when you are abroad, and you’ve been bombarded with foreign menus for many meals that sometimes McDonalds just hits the spot? Yeah I feel like my trip to Baby Gap was sort of like that. Maybe I do too much shopping, but it was for Luke, not me, so it doesn’t count! Baby Gap felt even more familiar than the Target here. The Targets here are “city Targets” there are escalators, elevators, a Target Security team, and escalators for just your shopping carts.
But I do love the adventure aspect of moving somewhere completely different and having to figure everything out. It is harder with a baby in tow, a nap schedule, and a new (wider) stroller that I keep running into things. Poor Luke keeps getting jostled around- But I do LOVE the new stroller. It holds so much more. #uppababyforever. So far I still feel like we are in vacation mode. I wonder if the newness and excitement will wear off, but I hope it doesn’t. It isn’t all roses though- I got a toll violation (for not having enough cash) and a parking ticket (for not turning my wheels enough- only in San Fran). #100bucksinviolations #yikes!
Kip has started work, and although he is still figuring everything out, he is enjoying his new job. It is definitely different from Scott & White, but he expected that, since it is a private practice. We are pleased that he will experience two opposite ends of the spectrum, which will aid us in making a decision about a job after fellowship in the coming months. We went to a welcome dinner at one of his attendings’ homes nearby. He lives in the swanky section of Pac Heights. We meet the other fellow, and his wife, who are also from the south. We are thankful they are new to the city as well. They have two very sweet boys and we have already been to the zoo and a few outings with them. Everyone is very nice and welcoming. I was worried we stick out like crazy Texans, but I don’t think we did. But if we did, I don’t really care. Everyone loves Texans, right? While we were there, Biden’s motorcade drove right by his house. Apparently, the DNC does a lot, I mean A LOT, of fundraising in Pac Heights.
Kip is on call this weekend, his first weekend call since May. Back to reality!
There is something so liberating about driving across the country and seeing how other people live. That is one of my most favorite things about travel-- seeing what others do, where the shop, how they live, how the dress, and what makes up their daily routines and everyday life. What seems so boring and mundane to them can hold such allure to someone seeing it for the first time. Or gratitude for where you live and how you live. I love that.
It had been a while since I had been on a big road trip like that. It made we want to drive more places in the future. But let’s be real, sometimes flying is just easier, especially when it means burning vacation days. But that’s why it was such a good trip for Kip and I- we weren’t burning vacation days! It was the first time in forever that we both did not have daily work related responsibilities or jobs for that matter! It was a fun way to start our yearlong adventure. We had good conversations, a book on tape, french fries, and plenty of (potty) breaks. All necessities on a road trip! Oh and we toured too many truck stops, which Luke loved #futuretrucker? #letshopenot.
Our most fun stop was the Grand Canyon. We stopped there for few hours and had a nice dinner at the south entrance. If you have never been, it was definitely worth the trip. It was amazing to see a natural wonders after a long day of travel!
For the most part, Luke did really well. He would get tired of his car seat, so frequent stops were a must. Also, we both spent a lot of time in the back seat with Luke keeping him entertained. We may have listened to Praise Baby over 300 times. It put him to sleep like clockwork. Seriously!
Our last day, we just had four hours to drive. We drove from Bakersfield to San Francisco. We were somewhat surprised at how much agriculture is in this part of California. When we were on this road, we passed no fewer than 50 tomato trucks. They were all smaller trucks that were uncovered so you could literally see mounds of tomatoes. This highway was littered with tomatoes that leaped out- I’m surprised we didn’t have a few tomatoes on our windshield by the time we got to SF. #sundriedtomatoesanyone? We also passed trucks of garlic- and you could totally smell the garlic-y goodness before you even saw the truck.
Driving in from Oakland to SF was pretty memorable. The Golden Gate definitely is the more popular bridge in the Bay Area, but the Oakland Bridge, or Bay Bridge, is pretty incredible as well.
All in all, the move went really smooth. #whew. When we pulled into our new neighborhood, our parking permit signs were posted, our moving truck arrived just as planned, and our movers showed up early. A few IKEA trips and days spent unpacking, we were officially moved in! Our across-the-hall neighbors told us we have a big apartment. I am still shocked at that! We still feel it is so small. It’s definitely a challenge to downsize, especially after adding a sweet little baby to our family. Luke is still at the age where we have bulky things. Not only did we have to downsize the amount of things that we brought to California, but also we had to downsize our furniture. We brought out king size bed (downsizing our bed size was CLEARLY not an option), but that meant we could not take any of our bedroom furniture. Enter IKEA. I never thought I would be nearly 32 years old buying IKEA furniture, but hey, it will work for this year and will be great furniture for Luke in our next home. I actually was surprised at the quality of the dresser. I was imaging some crappy, fake wood, but it actually nicer than I thought. I'm still tweaking things around the house, but I do that all the time, so that's nothing new.
We’ve had a good start. The weather has been amazing, and we really love our new city. I have been surprised to say how quickly we have adapted. In some ways, our life in Texas already seems so distant. That is not to say it has not been hard and challenging at times. It certainly has. Everything is new, and nothing is familiar. And sometimes you crave the familiar--to know how to do something, to see something or someone that you know, or at least is familiar to you. While strolling on Chestnut Street the other day, we walked into a Baby Gap, and it was weird how familiar it felt. This is totally random, but you know when you are abroad, and you’ve been bombarded with foreign menus for many meals that sometimes McDonalds just hits the spot? Yeah I feel like my trip to Baby Gap was sort of like that. Maybe I do too much shopping, but it was for Luke, not me, so it doesn’t count! Baby Gap felt even more familiar than the Target here. The Targets here are “city Targets” there are escalators, elevators, a Target Security team, and escalators for just your shopping carts.
But I do love the adventure aspect of moving somewhere completely different and having to figure everything out. It is harder with a baby in tow, a nap schedule, and a new (wider) stroller that I keep running into things. Poor Luke keeps getting jostled around- But I do LOVE the new stroller. It holds so much more. #uppababyforever. So far I still feel like we are in vacation mode. I wonder if the newness and excitement will wear off, but I hope it doesn’t. It isn’t all roses though- I got a toll violation (for not having enough cash) and a parking ticket (for not turning my wheels enough- only in San Fran). #100bucksinviolations #yikes!
Kip has started work, and although he is still figuring everything out, he is enjoying his new job. It is definitely different from Scott & White, but he expected that, since it is a private practice. We are pleased that he will experience two opposite ends of the spectrum, which will aid us in making a decision about a job after fellowship in the coming months. We went to a welcome dinner at one of his attendings’ homes nearby. He lives in the swanky section of Pac Heights. We meet the other fellow, and his wife, who are also from the south. We are thankful they are new to the city as well. They have two very sweet boys and we have already been to the zoo and a few outings with them. Everyone is very nice and welcoming. I was worried we stick out like crazy Texans, but I don’t think we did. But if we did, I don’t really care. Everyone loves Texans, right? While we were there, Biden’s motorcade drove right by his house. Apparently, the DNC does a lot, I mean A LOT, of fundraising in Pac Heights.
Kip is on call this weekend, his first weekend call since May. Back to reality!