It felt like an ultimate goal of us eventually moving back to SoCal at some point in our life but as we got more and more settled in Alameda it didn’t look like it was going to happen. Then 2020 arrived and we were all at a breaking point after 15 months of working from home, remote learning, and sheer burnout. The kids had their last day of school on 6/15/21, movers are here today 6/17/21, and my last day of work is on 6/25/21. This next week will be a whirlwind of activity at the house with the handyman, gardener, housecleaners, and stager all prepping the house for listing.

Today, the movers arrived at 8am and we were in our minivan waving goodbye to Maya (KK’s best friend in the neighborhood) by 2:30pm. It was crazy to see all our belongings in a truck and a giant pile of trash left in the corner of the garage. Unfortunately, a portion of our belongings also didn’t make it into the truck so we had to say “see you later” as we drove away.

We made a similar drive up I-5 in our X3 in 2007 with the car packed to the top, our belongings in a moving truck heading to a storage facility, and a dog on my lap. It’s now 2021, 14 years later, and we now have a packed minivan, two kids, and lots of good memories to take home with us.

Things I will miss:

• My friends
• The cool breezes along my running trail.
• Hog Island Oyster Co.
• Watching the kids play outside with the neighbors

Things I look forward to:

• Having my family and old friends close by
• More space
• Time off with the kids
• Good food