We now live in a koi fish pond!

Lost in SF: the highs, the lows, and everything in between

Oh hi there!

I’m currently living in a koi fish pond in San Francisco (well technically the East Bay) for the month. Look how cool it is!

One of the Koi fish was super pregnant and laid eggs this week. I tried to take a picture but she didn’t want to be photographed…I don’t blame her. She could hardly swim before she popped. She looked kind of like this but bigger:

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Just in case you’re like “But I thought you lived in Utah!” and you didn’t catch this post about how Aaron and I moved to three different states, here’s a nutshell:

Already coming in hot with the jokes…

Actual nutshell: We both work remotely and wanted to move from Utah to the PNW. But we weren’t sure where. Rather than get stuck in a 6 month - 1 year lease, we are living in AirBnBs for a month at a time (you can get major discounts that way) and seeing what places strike our fancy. One month in SF area. One month on the beach in northern Oregon. One month in Seattle area.

How it’s going: FUN and UNCOMFORTABLE

The fun part

Like we all probably expected, it turns out it’s fun to explore super cool places. So far we’ve…

• Chilled in Lake Tahoe

• Chowdered it up in Half Moon Bay

• Checked out Inkspell Books the “home of Caldecott winner Shawn Harris” (though we looked for him everywhere — behind the counter, under shelves and books, etc. — unfortunately Shawn wasn’t home. Bah dum psh! To think you get these quality jokes for free)

• Dined with SF kidlit babes Bo Lu and Isabella Kung

• Hiked in Mount Tamalpais State Park

• Fairytaled in Carmel-by-the-sea (I didn’t take a picture but here’s one we saw)

  

• Pretended we were super rich through the 17 mile drive at Pebble Beach (a place full of fancy pants mansions)

• Ate our weight in sea food at Phil’s Fish Market & Eatery (highly recommend)

I promise I won’t make this a newsletter equivalent of a “look at my cool trip slideshow” but I do have to show you this picture (taken at Half Moon Bay) because I can’t get over Annie’s goofy facial expression.

The uncomfortable part

It also turns out that moving to a completely new place is a little uncomfortable. Even driving feels new (California roads are organized so differently; I feel like I don’t know how to drive anymore!!) And though I’ve had so much fun on these adventures, I found myself laying in bed, feeling a bit lost yesterday.

I’ve been trying to embrace a more spontaneous go-with-the-flow mindset. It’s been good for me. But I’ve also lost motivation in general. To cook. To exercise. To create. It’s hard to hold onto those grounding habits when you are in transition.

Even Annie is a little nervous — she wants to be held multiple times a day (she is 45 lbs, dear reader, and I love it).

But I know this discomfort is good for me. I spent the first half or more of my life seeking safety in external ways. I’m learning that I can cultivate a sense of security, safety, and comfort within myself to carry around wherever I go.

This week I’ll ground myself in walks in the mornings and evenings. Washing dishes. Cooking easy meals. These tasks will hopefully provide a solid foundation as I venture into even more new places. Like a schedule sandwich with a different surprise filling each day.

So yes, I’m lost in San Francisco, but if it’s on purpose, it’s fine, right? ;)

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Thanks for sitting with me AT THE KID TABLE.

Your currently-getting-barked-at-by-Annie-because-she-wants-to-be-held-again friend,

Rachel

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