If you followed my families adventure and my “workation” this summer, you know that just before leaving we had sold two homes in the Bay Area. What I didn’t mention was that we had been considering a change of scenery for more than just the 6 week road trip. My work has evolved to a point where I really don’t see customers as frequently as I did years past. Since I spend the majority of my time sitting behind my keyboard and not the wheel of my car, I no longer have a strong geographic tether.

I Love Danville

I guess this wouldn’t be complete without saying how much I love Danville, California. A Town I grew to love and will always maintain friendships, work relationships and a strong connection with. Danville is awesome, the people are awesome, the schools are awesome it’s really hard to criticize Danville. If I were to come up with criticism of Danville and perhaps the Bay Area as a whole it would be that it is expensive. It is a small price to pay though for all the opportunities that the area presents. I am not burning this bridge not now, not ever.

Priorities, Experiences

Experiences have become a much bigger priority in my life. Reflecting back at my recent past, the things I hold closest to my heart involved experiences with people and places. They were often different places like SOBCON in Chicago and Portland (now known as Genius Shared). They were also the experiences where I made the time, fighting against the current of my habits to find a calm new pool in this river of life. This summer was all about that and I have very strong feelings and conviction on the importance of experiencing many more different textures of life in the future. When I reconnected with some important people from my past and present in San Diego, my head was spinning with grand plans to reconnect with them for some new adventures. While driving down the Carefree Highway, I took in the joy of a song I remembered hearing as a small child. When I looked at the absolute grandeur of the Grand Canyon, Glen Canyon/Lake Powell, Antelope Canyon, Monument Valley and other amazing treasures in Arizona it further emboldened my desire to experience new places and things. While enjoying the cooler climate of Utah near Bryce Canyon and the growing river alongside the highways; I pondered powerful metaphors of the affect every mile and site had on me during this trip. When I met with every customer who I had only spoken with on the phone and via Email, my appreciation for them as people grew. I learned things about them and their businesses that I would never know. I learned about the hobbies we shared, the life experiences we had in common, and I left with stronger ties to them than ever before.

Finding the Next Danville

Back in 2008-2009 when things got pretty rough financially for many of us, we considered leaving the Bay Area for a less expensive area. Little did we know then that we would discover a gem, our next Danville, in El Dorado Hills. We loved the homes nestled in the grand oaks in the Sierra Nevada foothills. The amazing views and the close proximity to some very different opportunities further attracted us. I recalled all the places not too far from the area where I camped and rode dirt bikes years ago in my 20’s. I imagined having access to those areas not for a weekend or even a long day trip but for part of a day and felt it would be a great experience for my family as well. Once the decision had been made we diligently sought a home that would accommodate all of our needs, but it became evident quickly that this task was going to be a greater challenge than we had hoped for. So we are now temporarily settled in an apartment so we could start our son in school and continue the search for the perfect (or nearly perfect?) home.

Cheers to New Beginnings

We are enjoying learning about our new home town and meeting the kind, laid back people of this community. If you’re ever in the area let me know, I’d love to connect with you! If you are in the Bay Area, fear not, I will be visiting frequently so keep in touch.