The San Francisco Bay Area!
For those of you who have been following along, YES this means a complete clockwise circle for Erika (NYC -> SF -> Portland -> NYC -> SF). YES, we swore we would stay in our dreamy Greenwich Village apartment for at least a year. YES we are afflicted with compulsive nomadic disorder. It also means we will be paying taxes in 4 states this year (Oregon, New York, New Jersey, and California). In Erika's defense, this move was not her idea. Martin, who never really warmed up to the East Coast, got a job offer out of the blue from [large internet company] that was just too good to pass up. The job is in Sunnyvale, but we will not be living in Sunnyvale. Where we will reside is TBD at this point - Erika and Martin will spend the next week searching madly for an apartment with plenty of sunny spots and windows that overlook bird and squirrel habitats. Any leads will be enthusiastically received.
I'll be making my first plane trip on September 30 from JFK to SFO. [Side note from Erika: All of you who told me horror stories about driving cross-country with cats and were right, PLEASE just keep silent about flying with cats - I don't want to know.] Martin will pick us up from the airport after driving 3000 miles in the Audi with dear friend Neil. Yes, the same Audi that has lost a part on each road trip we have taken it on. Martin figures, all the parts that were going to break or fall off (windshield wiper, tire, belt that drives the alternator and water pump) have now broken or fallen off and he should be good for the duration. Erika is confident that he will make it for 3 reasons:
- This car is 7 years newer than the Buick that got us out here AND it has the advantage of German engineering.
- Martin can fix anything.
- Neil can talk his way out of anything.
We have mixed feelings about this move. Erika truly believes that New York City is the greatest city on earth and has thoroughly enjoyed frequent contact with her dear cousin Andrew, but we still wanted to end up in California eventually. Just not this soon. Martin is excited about the return to real mountains and desert, getting back into flying, and his new job! Erika is excited about seeing all of her favorite West Coast people, being close to Yosemite, and hopefully staying in one place for a while (no promises this time). I am excited about all that sun, and the possibility of going Outside again! I'll save all the things we will miss for another post...
I will tell a happy cat on a plane story: my in-laws took their cat, Miss Kitty, to and from Beijing (roughly 15 hours of air time) and had NO PROBLEMS AT ALL. She was quiet and okay the whole time, and she is a mean kitty, scratch and claw central. I think they took something very mild to sedate her with, but I'm not even sure about that. So, good luck! I have actually never heard a bad cat on a plane story, though I fear taking my own kitty to Austin, so let me know how it goes!
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