Captain goes cross-country! If you've been following this blog for a while, you know that Captain is a California boy, and we'd been enjoying the wonders of the West Coast his whole life. But our lives started out on the other side of the U.S... and so, with a second baby on the way, a wonderful career opportunity for me, and the pull of family, we made our way back to the coast we'd left behind almost a decade before- this time with some pretty special "baggage" in tow. Read on for some highlights from Captain's journey across the United States, as well as some updates on our new life on the East coast...
I'd envisioned having some awesome blog posts about the journey. But- I wasn't the one on the trip, so I have limited information and cool stories to share. From what my husband told me, it's a long drive ;) Also - it was very hot- and parts of it - longs parts of it- are very boring. And flat. But- there were some major highlights- namely: Yellowstone, Jackson Hole, Grand Tetons, and Shosone National Forest, so sharing some pictures featuring these beauties as well as our boy Captain!
(They also dropped in Rushmore, though sadly I didn't get the picture of Captain in front of it that I'd wanted, as my husband said they didn't let dogs close enough).
When my husband & Captain finally made it to the East coast, Captain greeted me with the most epic wiggle-butt ever. Reunited with my baby!
After the move life hit warp speed, guys. Another reason for the lack of posts. Both my job and my husband's are very busy, and to further complicate things, I'm (very, very) pregnant, while he's doing the coast-hopping thing holding down his job in California. Which means I'm exhausted, and mostly solo-parenting while he's in work crunch mode since we moved, as we still struggle to get the new house in order. (Pictures have yet to be hung on the walls, and, I'm ashamed to say, there are still a few lingering boxes around). Moving is never easy, and our situation isn't exactly simple.
It has been great to have family close by, to have my parents and her aunt actually be a regular part of my daughter's life. We get to see cousins much more frequently. Going to Grammy & Papa's is something that can actually be done whenever we want. Free babysitting happens!
But, I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss California. It was truly an amazing place to live, and sorry- but Pennsylvania comes nowhere close. I'm sure we'll find our favorite spots with time, and we are settling in- but palm trees, perfect weather, and a beautiful bay we just don't have. In the first week, I did actually break down crying while driving down an ugly road with strip mall after strip mall: "It's. Just. So. Ugly. Here." Sob. (Might I remind you that I was/am pregnant. So, yeah. Hormones). My husband reassuringly reminded me that it was all going to be ok (and then later made fun of me, fake crying: "Oh! There's a Popeyes! Right across from a McDonald's! Without Spanish-style roof tiles! It's so ugly!"). ;) I did grow up not too far away, so there is of course familiarity to many things - though Philadelphia definitely has a bunch of very rough areas. It's very different in many ways from many things we loved about California. So- right now- it's hard, but there are ups and downs. We're adjusting. And, what helps a lot is my daughter is happy. Seeing her thrilled to be with her cousins and grandparents- that means more than I can put into writing (at least in this tired state).
And Captain? Well, he seems happy with the high density of squirrels and bunnies in the area :) Although it's been an adjustment for him too - with my husband gone most of the time, he spends much more time home alone (and with a dog walker). It makes me sad, because I never wanted that for him - but I'm looking forward to more days working from home with him, and my husband too. And, I'm sure, as a family, we'll reach our balance and find our sweet spot - regardless of what coast we're on :-)
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