Our Anniversary

As of this week, we have lived in Elk Grove for one year. We moved last year, right after our daughter's first birthday, from San Jose for work. We could have waited a little longer in the Bay Area, but we were tired of paying a crazy-high rent and we wanted some time before school to get used to our new home.

We had lived in the South Bay for almost ten years, which was really accidental. One day, in January, my husband turned to me and said, "Why are we doing this? Let's move." We would not be able to afford a house there, we weren't sure we'd even want to own in San Jose, and he was in a dead-end job.

So, we picked up and moved to Elk Grove. We chose this area because it was in between both of our parents (mine are still in the bay and his are in Redding), it was close to universities, and it is a rather diverse and interesting place.

This year has had its ups and downs. The transition to high school was little more difficult than I expected and it was impossible for my husband to find work this fall. Eventually, I got used to the high schoolers (or, rather, they got used to me) and my husband starting subbing. We both got into grad school, I held on to my teaching job by my chiny-chin-chin, and today we found out we are approved to move into a house.

Yes, it's a rental. But, still, it's a house. I have lived in apartments for the last decade, and I'm done. Yes, I will miss the complex pool and gym, but I will NOT miss the elephant people who live above me or their stupid cigarette butts raining down on our patio. Yick.

We move this weekend, which I am not thrilled about. But I am excited about having a bigger place, and a garage, and buying a fridge, and all those grown-up things.It's all very exciting.