Moving, New Routines, and Saying Yes to Scary Things

Hello Friend,
I wanted to let you know that last month (in early September) I moved to San Diego, California! It might seem sudden, but Spencer (my husband) and I had been thinking about it for several years. We are both avid sun / outdoor people, and really enjoy being in our garden as often as possible, so San Diego had been in the back of our minds for some time.

The climate here is mild, the beaches are beautiful, the atmosphere is very laid back (it's nothing like Los Angeles, if that's what you're wondering) and you can grow so many different things! We've already planted an avocado tree, three papayas, a sweet lime, a regular lime, Valencia orange, banana trees, guava, and dragonfruit aka pitaya (my absolute favorite!) 

It was a big scary move for me, I've never lived outside the great state of Oregon, and we had been in Portland for almost 13 years. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Portland and I always will. It's beautiful, it's fun, it's unique, and everything about it is just cool. I jokingly call it an adult Disneyland, but it kind of is. Regardless, it was time for a change of scenery and a new challenge. I'd gotten to a point where I almost felt too comfortable in Portland, do you know what I mean? I didn't really have to think about anything, everything was automatic. I had this feeling of, "I could easily live here the rest of my life, and it would be fine." That kind of freaked me out, I'm only 33. 

Another big reason for the move was that I get some serious seasonal depression, Winters can be very long and dark in the PNW. It just got to a point one Winter where I thought, "I don't want to do this anymore, I'm tired of feeling sad for months on end every year." I'm happy to report that so far I can tell a huge difference! I'm not lying around roasting in the sun all day, but my goodness does some bright sunlight everyday change my state of mind. 

So that's that, I wanted to make sure you knew I was here now, in case you didn't know. I posted about the move on my Instagram, but sometimes posts get buried in the shuffle. I'm still sewing aprons, nothing on that front has changed. I have a sweet little sewing studio in the backyard, and have thoroughly been enjoying working from home again.

I do miss my friends, and being so close to all of my family in Oregon, but this was a good and welcome change, and I look forward to seeing where it leads. I didn't want to find myself 20 years down the road still thinking, "What if?" Now I'll know. And if I change my mind, Portland will still be there with open arms. 

If you're ever down here, let me know! It's a great place to vacation and I'd love to give you recommendations. 

Lots of Love,
Erika