two years

today is my anniversary of moving to california. two years ago i packed up my car and left the only home i'd ever known to try life on the west coast. my wonderful friend ashlee was kind enough to fly to denver and make the roadtrip with me. she even loaded up her i-pod with fun music so we could sing and dance along the way. unfortunately on that fateful day i was sick as a dog. we didn't even make it to ft collins and i already had to pull over. nerves? possibly. 24 hour bug? definitely! thank goodness for ashlee or i might have never made it here. i feel like the road trip to california was a precursor for my first year living here - an adventure no doubt, fighting (home) sickness and learning to enjoy the journey not matter what the conditions.

i told myself to try living here for one year. just 365 days. some days that felt easy and others were a struggle. my one year anniversary was a big accomplishment. i'm so proud to say that i made it not only one year but TWO. in honor of my two year anniversary i decided to take time to write down some of my accomplishments and adventures.

Personally...
Best drivers license photo EVER. i even look tan!

Planned 3 weddings in the bay area, all for people I did not know before moving here.

Learned to rely on public transportation.

Survived 9 months living with complete strangers.

Moved into my own place for the first time. I feel so fortunate to live in such a beautiful neighborhood next to an awesome family. Its the best of both worlds - living alone but knowing there is someone close by, just in case.

Maintained a solid long distance (90 miles) relationship! Learned to live weekends to the fullest and appreciate solo time during the weeks. Also learned that you can talk to a lot of people on the phone when suck in traffic on a Friday afternoon.

Realized I am so incredibly lucky to have the love and support of my friends and family. From the mail, phone calls and lots of fun visits, there is no doubt in my mind that I am very loved!

Become more environmentally friendly. Recycle everything i can and even have my own compost bin!

Professionally...
Learned way more than I ever thought I wanted to know about grant making.

Know that people aren't joking when they call our area 'downtown Kaiser'.

Continued to volunteer, through work, for organizations that I'm passionate about.

Have a deeper understanding and appreciation for my company.

Adventures...

Participated in Bay to Breakers. Played in Golden Gate Park.

Rode the ferry from Oakland - San Francisco and Sausalito - San Francisco, several times.

Skied in Lake Tahoe.* Visited Yosemite and hike Half Dome.
*AND skied down this double black run, Gunbarrel, attempting to be an expert.

Attended several baseball games. Ran the bases at Giant's stadium. Attended Oktoberfest, California Beer Fest and Tour de Fat.

Celebrated New Years, birthdays, happy hours and Wine Wednesdays* all while trying new bars and restaurants.
*tradition created by Ashlee, Rachel and I in an effort to 'celebrate life' by getting together weekly to gossip, drink wine and often talk about our home sweet home, Colorado.

Visited Point Reyes and saw a whale swimming off the coast! Found this GREAT place in Crissy Fields to view the bridge. Horrible view, isn't it?

Drove from San Fran to San Luis Obisbo on Highway 1. They are not joking when they say 60 miles of curvy road ahead...

Visited wine country - Napa, Sonoma, Amador County and Paso Robles.
Can throw out buzz words like a true wino, but don't think I really taste the difference in micro climates.

Watched the sunset on the Pacific Ocean. Swam in the freezing Pacific Ocean.

Visited Monterrey Bay Aquarium, did the 17 mile drive and even saw a sea otter in real life!

Drove Ashlee's scooter. Got my first road bike. Rode all through San Francisco and over the Golden Gate Bridge. Also learned to use clip-in pedals!

Enjoyed every single beautiful view and had fun doing so.