As Michele mentioned, I was recently in the Bay Area to go to the Buffy Muiscal with her and Kristen. And what fun that was. Singing! Crazy Dancing! Spike! So much fun.

The secondary reason that I was in the Bay was to check it out again as a place to live. Garren and I having been stating, pretty much since we started dating that a move would eventually be necessary. Where we work is currently small, there have been so many crazy upheavels and politics going on and neither of us really has any place to advance to. So San Francisco is a viable options. Lots of hotels, lots of opportunity, plus family and friends.

I came back up a little nervous, because I didn't know if I would like it. Frankly I hated the area when I left and Santa Barbara is home to me. If there were no monetary concerns both of us would stay here forever. And frankly I don't know if it will be much better in SF, but at least there we will have more opportunity, be able to learn more and then maybe take that knowledge and experience and move somewhere cheaper that we can afford to really live......

Therefore I was slightly suprised to find that I do like the area. I spent some time in Berkeley and SF and was able to look at it with some distance between me and who I was four years ago. I'm in a better place. I like what I do and who I'm with. And by moving together we will both be better able to afford the city. That was my one stipulation. I won't live anywhere east of Berkeley. I've done that and not been happy. If we do this I want a fresh start in the area. Garren didn't really like Berkeley so I think we're pretty much saying it's living in SF or bust.

And we are moving for those of you who are reading this going, "But is she coming?!". We are. We're determined and we're both constantly looking at Craigslist for jobs and hosuing just to get an idea of what we can expect. We can't move right away. Garren is taking a class at the city college that he wants to finish and I have a small trip planned with Krista (yes without Garren.....I'm a HORRIBLE girlfriend) that I will need vacation time to support. My personal plan is to start applying to jobs after I get back from vacation and if something comes of that Great! One or both of us would like to have a job before we move, just for security sake. It would make both of us feel better if at least one of us will have an income immediately when we move. We'll see....that being said if nothing does happen by say Februrary at the latest we'll probably just say "Screw it" and move anyways.

We are both hard workers and will be able to do temp work, restaurant work or in Garren's case Barista work until we can find something more permanent in the hospitality field. Hell I would even take an entry level job at the right hotel to get my foot in the door.

So there it is. We're moving. Probably December at the absolutely earliest, realistically in January and I think February at the latest. Maybe not the best time to move in terms of opportunities and weather...but there it is. We're both ready for the change and I for one am excited to think that I will be closer to family and friends. I will however miss many of our friends here, but considering they have all also been talking about moving up, I'm hoping they will either join us or make it there before us....