California Here We Come

Most, if not all, of you are aware by now that we have made the difficult decision to relocate to California, in the Bay Area between San Francisco and San Jose. For the last 10 years, each company I've worked for has tried to get me to relocate, and we finally felt it was the right move to take that plunge.

There are so many pros to this....I love the Bay Area -- it's so beautiful there, there's so much to do, incredible restaurants, culture and diversity that would enrich Merrick's life, and from a job security perspective it makes a lot of sense because I have a really good network of colleagues out there. Craig and I have always worked really well together in terms of our careers...he's more entrepreneurial by nature and has done really well. I'm VERY risk adverse in this area, so I've been the one working the 9-5 (I wish, more like 7am-8am, 9am-5pm, then 8pm-11pm -- Merrick gets the in between slots), and have the stable income we know we can count on (well, as much as anyone can count on right now) and the health benefits. Considering the current economic environment, and the fact that my network/industry is not in Florida, we decided it would be a good decision.

Though there is only one con in terms of leaving Florida, it is a HUGE one. One big enough to really tip the scale. It's the fact that half of our family is now out here. So our hearts are heavy, and it was a bittersweet decision.

Well, I guess the other con is the cost of living out there is atrocious. But it's that way because it is such a desirable place to live.

So California, here we come! With all the things it has to offer, maybe we can convince both sides of the family to move out there too. And while we're at it, our friends! *Hint Hint*