The First Stop of the Rest of Our Lives

After the move yesterday, we felt shell-shocked. There was WAY too much stuff to take in. Today felt much more like the adventure we'd hoped we'd be setting off on. After a quick drive-through breakfast, we headed north and west to the San Francisco Bay area. It had been a long time since we'd visited the area that we decided to make a detour through the city and let Nathan see the Golden Gate Bridge.

So many memories here! SF was one of my most regular work stops back in the day. And, Rachel and I had been once or twice as well, so there was a fair amount of history to relive as we drove through the city. Nathan, in true form - either out of a true dislike for congestion, or just parroting back all of the things he'd heard from us over the last few months - gave a running commentary about how much he hates the city, how crowded it all was, and how he looks forward to living in the country!

It wasn't long before we'd left the city, and we could all breathe again. After a while, we cut west and made our way up the coast, right along the water. It was a part of the state that we'd never seen before, and all three of us were floored by its beauty. We made a brief pit-stop in Fort Bragg at a small state park right on the way and took a 15-minute walk to break up the trip. That was where the first revelation hit me ... this was all real. And, it was amazing! Here we were standing on a bluff above the ocean in a place so beautiful it took our breath away but so anonymous that just a few hours later I can't recall the name. And, this is going to be our lives for the next several months. I'm almost overcome with excitement and gratitude.

A few hours later, we made it to McKinleyville, just north of Arcata. We arrived at our first "home away from home." And, after unpacking the car and settling in for the night, all I could think of was how amazing life is right now.