Californified

That has to be the cutest fake mug shot I've ever seen. (I'm not sure if it's okay to display your plate number on the web, so I pixelated it just in case.) R and I received our CA driver's licenses and new plates after taking a surprisingly challenging written test the week before last. Here's a sample question:

To avoid last minute moves, you should be looking down the road to where your vehicle will be in about ________.

A) 5 to 10 seconds
B) 10 to 15 seconds
C) 15 to 20 seconds

What the heck? There were 36 questions like that. I passed, but just barely. R, being the over-achiever she is, aced the thing.

The DMV also requires a smog test when you register your car. Of course they don't do this on-site and can't even give you the name of a convenient place to have it done. You have to find your own automotive shop and spend another $50 and half an hour... in my case, it took just long enough so I couldn't make it back to the DMV on the same day, making the process a two-day affair. But let's focus on the positive: we are now officially California residents. I, for one, am proud to call myself one!

By the way, the correct answer was B.

The end of the beginning

Mom Murdock sent us these flowers (as well as a care package full of Minnesota goodies) to help detract from the debris.

Our stack of packing paper is going to be taller than R soon. I should have asked her to stand next to it for a comparison.

R left this message for me on the wall of the office. Isn't she sweet? I didn't want to paint over it.

It takes roughly 2 years for me to forget how much I dislike relocating. That’s part of the reason I was willing to leave Wilmington: I had forgotten what it's like to be unsettled, to have to clear a path in the boxes to go from one room to another, and to make decisions about what to put where (that is, if there is even space for everything). The last week has been sort of like that. The excitement of being in a new home is mixed with a dirty floor that’s too cluttered to clean and walls that need paint before electronics can be hung on them. It is at this point in the process when I say, “I’m never moving again.” But then a few years pass and I get excited about living somewhere new and the process repeats.

Our transition to this town was actually pretty smooth. It was nice to rent a furnished place for the first four months as it allowed us to put the physical work of moving on hold and to focus on learning our way around and getting used to new/changed jobs. Aside from the job part, being here without our own home felt a little like a vacation. It didn't feel permanent. Eventually we had to put some roots down and stop living out of a suitcase or, more accurately, out of somebody else’s dresser.

The condo could haved needed a lot more work than it does. The fact that we might be disorganized for only two or three weeks is quite a relief. There's still a lot to do, but we're settling in fast. I'm hoping the photos above show some of the beauty amid the chaos of the last week.

We really like the place. I like how the big windows in our living room let a lot of light into the place during the mornings. I like how we can open our sliding patio door to a little courtyard and hear the fountain running out there… and how this place is cozy by lamp light after night sets… and how each room seems to have its own personality... and the how the kitchen stove heats a pan evenly. We’re going to enjoy making a home here. I get the impression the hassle of moving is worth it when you move to Santa Barbara.

Closed

We are now the proud owners of a condo in Santa Barbara! The movers are bringing our stuff over next Monday, so we have one last weekend of apartment living. We're anxious to get out, but in some ways I think I'll miss this place. There's something carefree about renting. We didn't have to clean (a cleaning service was included in the rent), worry about any maintenance, or pay any separate utility bills. But we're definitely willing to give up those conveniences for more space, our own furniture (including our TV!), and the freedom to customize. I'm also looking forward to having a refrigerator big enough to hold beer again.

Gotta run. Tonight we're having a picnic on our new living room floor (pictured above). A "camp in" was also considered, but we're not that desperate to start living there.

The house post I've been promising you

Each place we buy is smaller and more expensive than the last. The condo we will be moving into in about a month (pending contingencies) has one less bedroom than our townhouse in Wilmington and is costing us roughly three times as much. And before that there was the house in Mobile, which seems now like a flat out amazing deal. We're used to living below our means, so it will be interesting to see how stretching to pay a mortgage out here will impact our lifestyle.

We looked at places that were less expensive, places that were closer to the beach, and places that had more space and better views of the mountains. But the best feature of the one we settled on is its location in the town of Santa Barbara (see point A on the map). It's three blocks from our favorite coffee shop, about the same distance from the best tacos I've ever had, and still only 20 blocks from the beach. There's a trolley stop close by that will take us down State Street to the ocean and pass through an area filled with restaurants, bars, and shops along the way. And I'll bet we could walk to that awesome movie theater I've told you about in less than 10 minutes.

The inside of the condo looks great: hardwood floors, nicely updated kitchen, fresh paint. (I'll post more photos after we move in.) We considered getting a fixer-upper this time but decided to save that for next time instead. Who wants to spend their time in California working on a house? As you probably know, I'm not terribly handy anyway.

This place reminds us of the house we owned in Mobile in that it's older but in good shape, stylish, and move-in ready. We loved that house, especially in the way it had more character than the cookie-cutter townhouse of ours in Wilmington (which we still really liked for other reasons), so let's hope this new place works out just as well. Being that it's in a fourplex, it's a little more like apartment living, but I think we can handle it. If we can't, we'll just spend more time at the coffee shop.

Landed

We have arrived. There are a lot of things to say about being here, but I'm going to save most of it for another entry. I'll try to get some photos to share as well. There will be plenty of time for all that.

Yesterday was a long day of travel. I was so tired when we got in (and sick with a cold) that the extent of our exploration was more or less a drive down State Street and a stop at the grocery store. We landed without knowning anybody or how to get anywhere, so it's been a lot to take in. We were concentrating so much on getting out of Delaware that we didn't think much about getting into California. Today was my also first day of working remotely, so I'm adjusting to that as well. Maybe it's too soon to tell, but my first impression is that we have a good situation going for us here.

The R.E.M. concert was excellent. They played a bunch of hits, although it was the more obscure selections, some of which I couldn't even place, that excited me the most. They picked a few songs that didn't jump out at me when listening to the albums (e.g. "Walk Unafraid", "Turn You Inside-Out", "Let Me In"), but now they're stuck in my head and I want to check out the recorded versions again. Another highlight was when Eddie Vedder came on stage to sing "Begin the Begin" with Mr. Stipe. The crowd went nuts over that surprise. They also brought Johnny Marr (from The Smiths) up for a few songs, but I must say that was less noticeable.

I'm sorry to report that we missed The National's performance on Wednesday due a horrific amount traffic on the way in. We were expecting to get from our hotel in Philly to the Mann Center in under half an hour and we even built in an extra hour just in case it took longer. We had no idea it was going to take two hours to get there? We literally sat down as the band were playing their last chord. Major bummer. We'll have to catch them some other time when they are the main act. Opening acts never get the best treatment anyway, especially in a venue as big as the Mann. Modest Mouse was okay, but it was hard to get into them from our distant seats and with people constantly walking in front of us.

One last note: Good luck to my dad, mom, brothers, uncles, aunts, and cousins who are all running Grandma's marathon or some shorter variation of it in Duluth this weekend. They all managed to get the running bug in the last year or so after my younger bro inspired them by doing a few marathons. I'm impressed by their dedication!

Ciao

Our farewell to friends had an Italian theme as it took place over the course of three nights during Wilmington's Italian Festival last week. On Wednesday we went to the fest with Tina & George and Libby & Kevin. Thursday we returned with Gordon & Cindy. And Friday was our grand finale: an Italian dine-around with Chris & Anke and Shane & Quincy (pictured above). Each of the nights was a memorable time and a bitter sweet good-bye.

Change is in the air and not just for us. Others are moving before summer's end as well, one couple to Chicago and another to Boston. It is a good thing that the friends we made here are rather "worldly" because this way we will likely see them again. In fact, we already have tentative plans to meet some of them in Paris in a few years. We're also hoping for some visitors in California.

On Thursday we will be moving into a furnished studio apartment on a temporary basis while we look for a more permanent place to rent or buy. We learned the lesson upon moving to Wilmington that a three or four day visit is not enough time to find a place in which to live, so we didn't even attempt to fly out to Santa Barbara to look around in advance of our move. This decision really adds to the fact that we don't know what to expect when we get there. I have a feeling it's going to be another world.

We may not have chosen our townhouse in Wilmington if we had had more time for a house hunt, but that doesn't mean we didn't enjoy living in it. It was a comfortable home. I was sad to disconnect our theater system last night because it was such a pleasing setup. I have the same fear each time I disconnect my computer: that it will never turn on again because it got rattled too much during transport or that I won't find all of the power outlets in the new house to be in the right places. Over the weekend, when we patched the holes we put into the walls, I remembered the time we put into painting them. We picked neutral colors so that the house would sell easily -- so much for that -- but truth be told, I kind of like neutral wall colors anyway. Our yard here was not very big, but getting rid of the lawn mower was tough: it and I took care of each other. We'll have to buy another one some day, and who knows what that relationship will be like.

The Bud Light Film Crew is moving on without me. The new guy shot the next two videos back-to-back down at the beach a week ago. I'm jealous that he has so much time before the deadlines and wondering what kind of editing software he is using. I'm worried he's going to do a better job than me. I'll be the first one on the web site on July 1 to view his first video. Aren't you curious?

We're definitely seeing the sad side of the move right about now -- all of the packing and good-byes -- but the happy side will reveal itself soon. I think California is going to present some wonderful opportunities for us, as well as new friends and an exciting chapter of exploration. We'll remember Wilmington fondly, but there are no regrets as we march forward. In some ways it's nice to leave on a high note, while things are going so well.

For sale

Our townhouse has been on the market since Wednesday. In Mobile, it only took four days to sell our house. We haven't even had anyone look at this place yet. It goes to show how much the market has changed. If anybody's interested in an investment in real estate, send me an email.

Hey -- every little bit of advertising helps.

Goin' out west (the big news)

A little over two years ago, when I announced our plans to relocate from Mobile to Wilmington in my old blog, I used the following song lyric from one of my favorite bands, Spoon:

In traffic we become on the way back home
Part of something bigger than just on our own.

I'm including it again now because it has become sort of a personal motto for the years-long journey around the country that R and I are making. I use the present tense in that sentence because the circle (actually, cross is more accurate) is not complete. As much as I love the city of Wilmington and the surplus of opportunity we've found here, it was never meant to be a final destination. It's a stop along the way, albeit a stop that lasted long enough for us to explore much of the upper east coast and to dive into the local culture, make some good friends, and possibly even leave a small but noticeable imprint. In some ways I think I grew more attached to this place than I did to even the Twin Cities. There is something more manageable about Wilmington. It lives up to its slogan, "A Place to be Somebody," in that it's small enough to almost be conquerable, yet large enough to feel like that would be an accomplishment. For those reasons, it will be difficult to say good-bye.

We are moving to Santa Barbara, California in June.

R is being transferred within her company, and as usual I'm along for the ride. But I am by no means dragging my feet. The biggest downside to moving around the country for R's job is that I would typically need to sacrifice my own in the process. That is not so this time. I've decided to retain my current job -- my employer is allowing me to work remotely. I will admit part of me was hoping to have to quit so I could have a few months off to enjoy the beach after the move and explore different career options, but the income will be nice to have considering the increased cost of living in Santa Barbara, and plus, there are still a few things I want to see through at this company. If I'm going to quit, I want it to be on my own terms.

R's new job sounds exciting. She's going to be helping develop organic light emitting diodes, a technology that is comparable but superior to liquid crystal displays. I'll let her tell you more about it sometime, rather than misrepresent it myself. She'll be working the afternoon shift out there, from 3pm until midnight, so there will be a schedule adjustment for us. It's a good thing I will be working out of our home, otherwise I'd never get to see her. Maybe we can eat lunch together this way anyhow.

California... I never would have guessed I'd live there one day. It's such a mythical place for me, a place from movies and Mason Jennings songs. My parents took me and my brothers out there on a vacation one summer during my high school years. We drove from San Francisco to Los Angeles along the coast. My memories are bits and pieces, but I remember being enthralled by the chance of running into stars and being inspired by the energy of the people and the beauty of the ocean.

When the possibility of moving to California first presented itself to R and me, there was no way we could resist going for it. Right now it seems like an absolutely necessary part of our life experience.

Desperate Househusband

Moving, to a new state especially, is a lot of work. My wife and I recently made the move from Mobile, Alabama to Wilmington, Delaware. After a tumultuous few months of selling, buying, renting, packing, unpacking, closing, opening, quitting, starting, searching, and road tripping, we are finally settling. To say the least, it feels really good to have a home again.

The next thing for me to square away is a job. I've been enrolled in a career transition program with a group called Right Management Consultants (courtesy of my wife's company). They have helped me get my resume in shape and have been a valuable means of networking. It doesn't help, however, that I'm not yet sure of what kind of job I want. My experience is in Information Systems, and although I have been successful in the field and gained some good experience, I have found the work to be unsatisfying and would prefer to do something that involves more creativity.

I do have one thing lined up. In June I will be starting a five-week internship with a filmmaker from the area who is going to be shooting a movie here. It’s not exactly Hollywood, and it’s a no-pay position, but it could lead to something bigger. This looks like a step in a more creative direction for my career. We’ll see if anything comes out of it. In the meantime, I'll try to learn more about myself and what is available out there.

There's also plenty of work to do around the house. We're going to start painting the walls next week for one thing. Add on the usual chores (cleaning, cooking, grocery shopping, etc) and that's almost a full time job right there. I will be grateful for any additional free time I can find. I've got a couple of editing projects just begging for attention.