Doc Hop

It’s official — I’m a Californian!

I made it to Long Beach yesterday afternoon, but I’ve been up to a lot the past couple of days and I wanted to provide a full update.

FRIDAY, July 19

I “slept in” on Friday until 7 a.m. After walking Lemon I packed up the car and headed to the main lodge for the breakfast buffet, which was INCREDIBLE. I’m not usually ready to eat first thing in the morning, but I couldn’t pass by the spread. Everything was amazing, but the coffee was much needed for the day ahead.

I couldn’t hit the road without taking one last look at the Grand Canyon, so after picking up the pets and checking out I headed back up to Yavapai Point. This time I took Lemon so that she could take a look for herself. I was in just as much awe as I was the evening prior, but Lemon wasn’t very impressed and paid much more attention to the collie that was also visiting the viewpoint that morning. (Looking back, I really wish I had put on real pants for the photo, but I had 8 hours of driving ahead of me and I much prefer being comfortable when traveling. So, Chewbacca will be a part of our family photo for all time. As he should be.)

This was the shortest leg of my trip, at 7.5 hours, but it ended up being closer to 8 or 8.5 due to the traffic in California. Still, the ride was lovely and allowed me to gaze upon the vast peaks, valleys and vistas of the beautiful Mojave Desert. I definitely plan to return one day to check out Death Valley and Joshua Tree.

I was kind of nervous about driving in California traffic but I made it to my apartment around 5 p.m. with absolutely no issue. (I also need to note, that I decided to listen to the audiobook for the first Game of Thrones novel for the entirety of my drive. I listened the WHOLE TIME and I still haven’t reached the end of the book. That’s fucking WILD.)

Getting into my apartment was super easy, and I was incredibly grateful after four days on the road. I have a reserved covered parking spot a building down from my unit, but I was able to park in a guest parking spot directly outside to unload, which was definitely the most exhausting part of the day. Luckily, I had plenty of time on the drive to mentally prepare for the task. It’s a smart apartment, so I didn’t even have to check in to receive a key. I downloaded an app, unlocked my door, and let myself in. (The door doesn’t even have a keyhole, so don’t ask me how individuals without a smart phone stay here. I suppose they don’t…)

I have no idea how I packed so much stuff into that little car, but unloading everything out of my car and into the apartment probably took a solid hour, mostly because I was unpacking as I went. By 7 p.m. I had unloaded my car, unpacked my boxes, and hooked up my internet. (The box with my modem had been left right inside my door, which I was SOOOO thankful for, considering at this point I did not know how to check my mail!)

With all the hard work out of the way I was finally able to put my feet up and enjoy the newness of my surroundings and the euphoria of having followed my dreams to the west coast. After 38 hours on the road, I didn’t want to drive ANYWHERE that night. Luckily, Sierra and Becca gifted me my first meal for my birthday, so I didn’t even have to leave the house for food! I ordered a sub from Ike’s Love & Sandwiches — a vegetarian/vegan friendly sub shop that’s actually really close to my apartment. (Like, REALLY close — I totally should have drove, but now I know!) I ordered the Falling for Ikes — vegan turkey, cranberry, sriracha, cheddar and “dirty sauce,” on dutch crunch. It’s all I’ve thought about all day. I almost ordered it again tonight. It was SO GOOD.

I’ve included some photos of my apartment below. It’s still very empty, but I’m still waiting for my moving pod to arrive. I already love it. I love it just for being in Long Beach and being mine, but it’s also just a nice place. I love the island between the living room and the kitchen and the window between the bedroom and living room. I love that I have a small porch and that the porch is private/masked from prying eyes. And I haven’t even checked out all of the fancy amenities yet, but I know I’m going to love them all as well. Everything is bright and new and smells faintly of fresh paint.

I caught up on Big Brother while I ate, but by 10 p.m. I had to practically crawl to “bed.” I can’t wait for my real bed to get here, but for how quickly I dozed off you would have thought my little fold out mattress was fit for a king. I slept even better knowing I had finally made it. It took 38 years (and 38 hours), but I made it.

SATURDAY, July 20

I do not have words for how amazing it felt to wake up slowly, knowing that I would not have to spend the next 8 to 10 hours on the road. I thought I was sleeping in super late, but when I got up and checked the clock it was 8 a.m. I guess even my body was ready to get a jumpstart on my first full day as a Californian. So much to do; so much to see!!

I enjoyed a slow morning. I caught up on Love Island and The Acolyte. I updated my address with my bank and reorganized the few belongings that I have here to organize. I took Lemon for a walk about the apartment complex, which allowed me to locate the pool, spa and game room, which all happen to be directly across from my building. I was also able to sort out how the mail works here — so I’m happily accepting letters from anyone who wants to send some love or encouragement!

Lemon has been setting off all the dogs in the neighborhood by loudly announcing her presence each time we head out for a walk, but the boys are absolutely living their best lives. I don’t know if it’s their love for this apartment or if they’re just ecstatic that they can explore their new home instead of driving west in a crate for 8 to 10 hours, but they were absolutely vibing. They took turns sleeping on top of the refrigerator and kept popping up in various locations around the house. They’re all about the patio windows and are itching to go outside to check it out. It makes my heart so full. I’ve made a better life for my boys. For all of us.

Once I had wasted enough time and organized everything to my heart’s desire, I ran out for a Target run, which is literally on the same road as my apartment complex and about a quarter of a mile away from my house. (It also shares a parking lot with Ike’s Love & Sandwiches, hence my earlier mistake.) I had to get a new broom, because I bent my old one all up trying to get it into my car in Augusta and ended up tossing it. (It was NOT sparking joy.) I also needed a lamp, as the lighting in my living room was lacking.

I got some groceries while I was at Target, but I also went on a real Trader Joe’s run a little later in the day, where I really stocked up. It’s been a minute since I’ve been able to go wild in a grocery store, since I had to eat down all of my pantry before moving from Augusta. It felt good to stock up a brand new kitchen, in a city much friendlier to vegetarians. And the selection at Trader Joe’s doesn’t quit! I haven’t lived near a Trader Joe’s since I lived in Chicago, and then I always assumed that it was super expensive, like Whole Foods, so I never went. I’m definitely going to make it my go-to grocery here. And it’s also super close to my house, at about 1.5 miles away.

I have a pretty busy week ahead. I’m taking Lemon to the beach tomorrow, which will be her very first time seeing sand and shore. I’m quite excited to see how she reacts to it! Yoga sure went nutso with zoomies!

Come Monday I’m going to head to campus. I need to turn my onboarding materials into HR and I want to re-familiarize myself with the campus and get a real lay of the land. If possible I would also like to check out my office this week.

On Wednesday I have an appointment with the DMV. I’ve passed the knowledge exam for my license, but I need to take the vision test and register my car.

But I am sure it will not be all work and no play while I wait for my moving pod to arrive so I can drag this place up and really make it feel like home! I’m stocked up on food, but I still want to check out the local cuisine and I’m absolutely going to head out in search for a strong bike route along the beach! I saw some people kayaking down the Naples canals on my drive in, which also sounds like a must-do, as soon as I can figure out when and how to rent a boat.

I cannot wait to build new routines and find new haunts in my new hometown! And I cannot wait to share these experience with you all! ❤️