A month ago I wrote a blog post entitled “Goodbye NYC…” where we officially shared that we were moving, and I shared memories from the past decade of living in New York. Now it’s time for me to share the other side of this story—where we moved to!

After we packed everything up in New York, we went back to Oklahoma to hang out a few more weeks until our stuff would arrive in California. The movers had given us a window of August 1-10, and we just randomly picked the 5th, hoping that we wouldn’t be without our stuff too long and praying we wouldn’t have to change our flight if they got there sooner. Well, we landed the morning of the 5th, and about an hour later the movers came with everything! We were so fortunate with the timing! We’ve spent the past two weeks getting settled into our new home and playing at the beach!

Our entire belongings fit into our dining room!

So where exactly did we end up?

We’re now living in Coronado, a tiny island just across the bay from downtown San Diego. When we were trying to decide where exactly in San Diego to live we quickly realized our three priorities in our new home:

Proximity to the beach.
Good schools.
Walkability.

Our biggest draw for making the leap to the West Coast was the beach and good weather year round. Even though we have lived in the biggest city in the country for the past decade, we really really love being at the beach and having an outdoor lifestyle. When we were trying to settle on a specific town in San Diego, I just kept saying, “I don’t want to live there and say, ‘oh, we live close to the beach now; it’s just a short 30 minute drive to the beach.’” While yes, that is close, what we really wanted was to be so close, like walking distance, where we could take the kiddos after school, quick trips after, dinner, etc., not just a weekend thing. We want our kids growing up at the beach, where swimming and surfing become second nature to them!

Of course with 4 children, another must for us was good schools. We value our children’s education greatly. Coming from NYC with arguably some of the best education in the country, this was a high priority.

And finally, the walkability. One of our favorite things about living in NYC was being able to walk everywhere, not being bound by a car. We knew moving to the San Diego area would mean we would need to buy a car, but our hope was to find somewhere where we could primarily get around by either walking or biking.

Hello Coronado!

The island is so small that pretty much anywhere you live on it, you would be close to the beach. We are currently .5 miles to the beach, a shorter walk than the Times Square subway station from our old home haha.

We live right next to the elementary, middle, and high school, all of which are excellent schools!

Coronado is incredibly walkable. In a strange way, some parts of it still remind me of NYC. Houses are all crammed next to each other, wall-to-wall stores and shops, and a major tourist destination. People are always out walking the streets and riding bikes. When we looked at homes in other neighborhoods, they might have been close to the beach or school, but if it’s not the town’s culture to walk/bike, it won’t be a safe, viable option. Here in Coronado, it is certainly the norm. There are plenty of bike lanes and the island is built to accommodate this culture.

Right now it really just feels like we’re on vacation. Ron & I are both on maternity and paternity leave currently, we took a few weeks off of therapy, and the kids had a total of 3 weeks before school started. We really just wanted these three weeks to be some quality family rest time. Life has been such a whirlwind since March. Our time in OK this summer was great and a much welcomed relief, but even still, we were working, planning a cross-country move, and managing 12 therapy sessions a week. These weeks have felt like a big sigh of relief, as we start this new chapter of our lives.

But it is incredibly strange moving during a pandemic. We basically have just moved our bubble from NY to OK to CA. It’s strange being in a new city without knowing anyone and not doing anything to meet people or get involved anywhere. The kids start school virtually this week, and they are incredibly nervous about starting a new school this way. I remember moving to New York by myself and not knowing anyone and how scary that felt, so this time around, I am really grateful to have 5 other people with me that I know ;)

Another great thing about our move—more space! Our family of 6 was living in 800 square feet, and when Covid hit, it confined us all to that tiny space 24/7. Our new home is 1900 square feet!! Quite the upgrade. Some of my favorite parts about our new home are our two balconies, a library nook, and our king-sized bed!!

And finally, we really really miss New York. It’s like my brain has mashed a decade’s worth of memories into a highlight reel of my time in NYC. I’ve blocked out all of the hard parts of living there haha. I miss living with friends in our building, all of our adventures around the city, summers in NYC, food, the parks…so much. I just have to keep reminding myself that the New York I miss, isn’t even there anymore. We wouldn’t be enjoying all of the free summer events if we were still there. Friends have moved away. Our neighborhood isn’t even the same. It’s quickly become overrun with crime and drug usage. While we love New York immensely, I am thankful that the Lord provided a new opportunity for us outside of the city and at such a time. We had been dreaming of moving to the beach for awhile, but if the pandemic had not happened, I’m not sure we ever would have pulled the trigger on it.

I am greatly looking forward to getting to know our new home, and I hope this transition goes smoothly as we figure out how to establish a new life and routines amidst a pandemic.

...Hello San Diego