Goodnight, San Diego
Last morning of our 'Normal' life
The morning we left our home, I sat on our plush California king sized bed dreaming of Tuscan sunsets and reflecting on our final days in San Diego. I snapped back to reality as I was startled by the sound of squawking parrots. The bright green birds migrate north from Mexico and periodically find refuge in the tallest of our yard's 13 palm trees. I hopped out of bed to catch one last glimpse of the beautiful flock that usually make their appearance during the twilight hours.
As I watched the colorful birds, I remember thinking to myself...
We live in Normal Heights but our life isn't anywhere close to being normal, at least not anymore. San Diego is our home, but only for now. Next stop is the road. Next stop is a life unsettled.
Like the birds, it was our turn to migrate.
We'll be missing you
I've never loved a place as much as I do our urban neighborhood. My husband whole-heartedly agrees. And I'm unsure if I'll ever miss a city as much as I do Diego, but I hope that isn’t always true. I hope we find solace in our stay in Tuscany, and then find Sweden to be remarkable and Ireland enchanting. And then wherever the wind blows us next, we will miss it just as much as the last.
The best part about unsettling? Our home is roaming so our hearts must be too. At times the constant change will likely be overwhelming, and at others I’m sure it will be calming. Whatever challenges our unsettling brings, I hope they are as fulfilling as the challenges we met and overcame in San Diego.
Last hours
We enjoyed one last sunset in Diego at one of our favorite spots, Fiesta Island on Mission Bay. My husband, my 18 month old firecracker of a daughter, our never-coulda-guessed-he’s-11-years-old American pitty and I all soaked up one final golden hour in America’s Finest City.
The water was glassier than I’ve ever seen it. Amidst all the anxiety and emotions over making such a big life decision for our family, I felt oddly calm. It was like the universe was telling us we were doing something right. And damn if we hadn’t worked our asses off to get to this point. We spent three months planning the logistics, held four yard sales and sold literally everything we owned. All of it came together for this moment… the final “Goodnight San Diego.”
Two hours later, we had just finished hastily loading up our family SUV with everything to our names. Matt, my husband, put me and my daughter in a cab to a friend’s house where we would stay for a night before we flew out. He then started his drive across the country with all of our sentimental values and our beloved doggy.
Our final goodbye to our tiny San Diego bungalow was so rushed that it didn’t feel right. I cried as we drove away from my daughter’s first home. She took her first steps there. She said her first words there. She spent endless hours walking around the neighborhood searching for exotic “flowies” with Matt on their morning strolls. She even, the week before, learned the word “home” and would say it every time we pulled into the driveway. In that moment I was truly sad. Yet I was also relieved, anxious, and excited. I felt accomplished and confident but knew that I was already missing a piece of me.
Goodnight San Diego
It's excruciating trying to tie together my final thoughts. With my daughter asleep on my lap in this Southwest 737, I'm attempting to put my emotions into words. I borrow a pen from the nice older lady next to me (yeah, I’m old school like that) so that I can capture the moment somehow. I scribble in the journal I’ve begun for my daughter in my right hand as I hold her in my left.
Departing San Diego, there is no other person I’d rather share this moment with than her. Of course, I wish Matt could be here too. But she, as a native Californian, deserves a sweet goodbye. It is a typical southern California bluebird day with not a cloud in the sky. As we take off I read to her one of her favorite books called Goodnight San Diego - a take on the classic Goodnight Moon. As we fly out and catch our final glimpse of the skyline - Pacific Beach, Point Loma, Coronado, and Tijuana - I say “Goodnight San Diego.” She sleepily responds “Home.”
I’m sure I’ll write more about San Diego soon. I’m sure I’ll end up sharing roughly 17,583 colorful photos of this place. I’m sure I’ll throw tons of stats out there about how it’s quite possibly the best city in the U.S. But for now, I’m happy just saying
Damn, I’m gonna miss this place.
