What’s Happened Since I Moved?
Since I’ve moved out, I’ve had a great time in Cali! The weather is always nice (which is not always a good thing). Work is going well and I’m learning a lot. I’ve settled into a good routine and a good schedule. I’ve found a great church and active young adult community.
I am also slowly exploring California. I’ve been to Napa, San Francisco, and quite a few different places in the SF Bay Area. My friends and I even recently went on a trip to Lake Tahoe! It’s quite a pretty state!
Spent some time in Napa Valley visiting famous places like the Chateau Montelena.
California sunsets are nice (but not nearly as good as Nebraska sunsets 😉).
While I’ve been away from home, a bit of home has stopped by to say hi! A number of family and friends have passed through a few times, and it’s always been good to catch up and show them around.
You need a Napa-native to experience Napa Valley right. And my friend Kevin just happened to be home for break.
Mickey is a long-time friend, is also in the tech industry, and just happened to be in the area.
The Winters are great friends and a great family that ALSO just happened to be in the area.
My aunt and uncle ALSO JUST HAPPENED to be in the area visiting.
Mom and Dad actually told me that they’d be here instead of just happening into the area 🙃.
What Am I Up To?
I am working on Google Maps at Google’s headquarters in Mountain View, CA. My team’s job is to build tools that make it easier and more scalable for Google to work with ALL the suggestions/edits people make in Maps.
Business closed? New restaurant? Wrong address? Updated phone number? All those suggestions pass through tools my team creates and maintains!
Besides work, I am learning how to cook! It’s been fun to learn from Chef Mom and now Chef YouTube, and apparently I have become known for being a good cook amongst my friends. I make a delicious pasta or stir fry!
Mmmm… Chicken Alfredo.
Traditional Vietnamese dish: Cơm Thịt Nướng. It has rice, meat, cucumbers, lettuce, tomato, and eggs AND sauce.
How Am I Doing?
Honestly, I’m doing pretty well. I was kinda scared moving so far away from everyone I knew. But, God has definitely been taking care of me. Finding a good community of friends, establishing a routine of work/prayer/socializing, and keeping in touch with people back home have all made the journey that much better.
Some days are a little harder than others, but those are always good days for phone calls with people back home. I’m still working on finding a good balance of introvert time vs extravert time, both at work and with friends. I like making friends, but I also know that I need to take care of me.
What Have I Learned?
This definitely will become a separate blog post later. I have way too much to say about all the things I’m still learning about what it’s like to live out here.
A bigger thing I’ve noticed is that the pace of life is different. Living is faster-paced out here.
You have a busy schedule. You have a number of commitments. You need to work and network and socialize and have fun and volunteer and maybe have a side-job while still remembering to eat and exercise and get enough sleep.
In general, people feel like they need to get where they need to go because they need to get stuff done. It’s very easy to get caught up in all the “doing” and forget about “being”.
Another observation is the traffic. Oh, the traffic. It hurts me a little on the inside to hear the commute times for some of my friends and co-workers.
”We’re used to this … This is a normal commute in the Bay Area.”
Nonsense. No one should be used to 1 hour or even 2 hour commutes each way - which means a total of 2-4 hours commuting just in one day! This is not normal and should not be normal.
What Can I Say?
I think everyone should try moving away and living in a brand new city, even if just for a few years.
Yes, it’s scary. Yes, it’s going to be hard. Yes, you will have to re-learn how to make friends. Yes, it’s confusing how to balance your life “out there” vs maintaining your life/relationships “back home”.
But, it’s worth it. You learn a lot about yourself, what you are like in new settings, who are the kinds of friends you need in life, what is important to you, and so much more.
Overall, I have so much more to say that could take up a few future blog posts. But for now, I am at peace. I am doing well, and I am at peace.