Walking down a quiet, residential street in sunny San Diego a couple of days ago, I noticed something curious and out-of-place--a house all decorated for Christmas, with lights and images of Frosty and Santa.
For a fraction of a second, I lost track of time and place. Yes, it was a mere fraction, but enough to remind me why I'm here in California. "Odd," I thought in that fraction of a second, "looks like they forgot to take down their Christmas decorations ... and it's summer already."
Of course it wasn't summer already. It was was New Year's Day, just a week after Christmas, but it was summer still. It's always nice in San Diego. Sunny and in the 70s on New Year's Day. Back home, a new layer of snow covered streets and windshields and the city settled in for below zero wind chills. "This is why I want to move here," I reminded myself after chuckling about my summer thoughts.
Today I'm in the San Francisco area, and while the weather isn't as perfect, this place is perfect in so many other ways. I think that this time I really am through with Chicago. Just need to finish off the school year, and next year, this blog could be Oakland Teacher Man or some such thing.
Incidentally, if anyone out there has connections in a Bay Area school district, I could use all the help I could get ...
5 comments:
amusingly enough.. i'm a teacher in puerto rico and was in chicago over the holidays to feel it out for a possible move (loved it).
there really is no Perfect, but i can definitely relate to the need for a change. good luck with everything.
I lived in CA once, I loved it, though I'm a small town girl myself. It's hard to leave friends behind and make new ones, but oakland is lovely (well, except the parts that aren't). I lived in northern CA, I loved the people and the mountains. It would be inspiring to live next to the ocean. I hope you find the right fit.
Thanks, -k- and misty!
It's always great to get comments, especially from people I don't know who stumbled onto this blog who-knows-how. I find it interesting also that teachers seem to relocate quite a bit. Anyway, right now I'm pretty serious about leaving Chicago for the Bay Area. Lucky enough for me, I have three amazing friends there, so that would take away some of the sting of leaving friends and family. Anyway, -k-, if you need a place, I'll be looking to sell or rent my condo, so let me know.
hi there,
excellent blog! keep it up!
found you through Daily Kos and had to comment: im heading to Chicago this spring to try and persuade my husband that we should move there from Oakland. i laughed out loud when i read you'd like to do the opposite.
ive lived here since 1992, so I have a little grass greener syndrome, perhaps. plus, buying a house in Chicago seems like less of a dream and more of reality.
take care,
olivia
Olivia,
I'm sure I've posted about this recently, but let me just say: I have a student who moved here from San Diego a few months back. Whenever I ask him what he thinks of the weather, he looks absolutely shell-shocked and says, "I never knew how good I had it. I want to move back." Although you're right, you could probably buy a decent house in Chicago for less than a small condo in the Bay Area. Still, it's so tempting ... especially with friends like Markos there.
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