California Series #1
We are back after taking a little break to settle in here in California. It has been a busy week as we have been transitioning into our new positions. We feel so blessed with this opportunity and intend to make the most out of our 8 weeks here in the San Francisco Bay! Today we cafe hopped and walked around a cute little Japanese Garden in San Mateo. Keep checking in - we will be sharing some of our adventures on the blog over these next couple months through a series of posts! We’ve already begun to plan some weekend backpacking and camping trips and added some new gear to our collection! For now, we are just getting adjusted to our new routines.
Matt started his second clinical internship at an outpatient physical therapy clinic in the South Bay and I am getting settled into my first travel nurse assignment (read here) in an ER on the East Bay. Everyone here has been warm and welcoming to both of us, including our hosts! We’ve opted to use Airbnb.com for our California adventure over staying in a hotel or attempting to find an apartment for 8 weeks. I haven’t found many better or more secure options for short term housing than this, but if anyone has suggestions let me know!
The first place we booked was a bedroom in a home on the East Bay. The location was close to the hospital and perfect for my first week of work. Matt was able to use the first week to relax and prepare for his clinical as well as explore the area a bit, including finding a hike near our place. The home was more of a hostel-like set up, consisting of 8 bedrooms with shared bathrooms and living spaces. We stayed in the home with a diverse collection of guests from China, India, Japan, Germany, Serbia, Bosnia, and the U.S. On Friday nights we all got together for dinner, drinks, and shared about our countries and lives. Learning about so many different cultures and getting to know each other’s stories was an awesome experience. It was truly amazing to see so many people from different backgrounds come together and learn about what makes us more similar than different.
This week we moved from the East Bay to the South Bay, just less than 30 minutes from San Francisco. Our hosts are a couple that have owned the home and lived in the area for over 40 years. They are so sweet and welcoming and have great knowledge about the area. As Matt told me shortly after moving our stuff in, “this house is adorable!” We haven’t got much of a chance to explore the area, except the Trader Joe’s that’s just a short walk away (what else do we need?)
On Saturday night we went to the city to meet up with our friends, Josh and Lydia. These two are one of the sweetest and coolest couples we know. I grew up with Lydia and our families used to go camping together as kids. We were able to reconnect back in May when we came to San Francisco for a visit. These two opened up their home to us and helped us find the best spots to explore in the city. We had such a great time that we couldn’t wait to get back! It was so great to see them again and catch up on everything that has been going on in both our lives over the last few months.
Out of all the new things we have experienced this week, the biggest is becoming an auntie and uncle for the second time! This weekend I am so excited to be heading back to Minnesota to meet our new nephew, Finnley Jakob, born on Wednesday afternoon! Thankfully my days off worked out perfectly for a visit. He is as handsome as can be and I cannot wait to cuddle him in my arms. Congratulations to my brother Jake and his wife Julianna on their second little addition! Eden is already an amazing big sister.
For the last couple years we have been fortunate to live near some beautiful beaches and experience the sunny Florida weather. Now that we are here in California for a couple months, we cannot wait to take advantage of the endless nature so available to be explored (and finally wear our sweatshirts/jackets)! Stay up to date and follow us on our journey here and on our Instagram.
To life, love, and every adventure it brings!