One year (and three days) ago, my wife and I were married. However, I think today marks as big a milestone. Today is the day that we boarded a plane and started our life together in California. I think about that day, and I think about the emotions at play. I felt horrible for feeling as though I was taking my wife away from everything familiar to her. She had grown up on the East Coast, and everything and everyone she knew was "East Coast".
California is an odd place, at least Northern CA. It's autumnal weather year round, and you require a jacket on some days and every night, even in the middle of summer. And then, there is the incessant fog and drizzle rain. Heh, Seattle-lite.
We got home in the evening a year ago, and her aunt had kindly picked us up from the airport. She brought us these Indian lentil loaf things, called "Handvo". She also brought us milk so that we could have some and make coffee the next day.
I cannot say enough about her aunt and uncle. They have done so much for us, helping my wife especially know that there is family here for her and that people love her. Yes, I love her, but love is not always enough especially when you are removed from everything familiar to you.
It is a testament to the toughness of my wife, however, at how fast she assimilated and rode out the initial hardships. In many ways, outside of our parents and what they experienced, she is the bravest person I know.
We've been able to carve out a niche in our community, which we love. We enjoy our local gym and have gotten to know the other regulars there. We've found our favorite breakfast food locales and found a taco shop we cannot get enough of. We've made friends with our local ethnic food market. It has led us to finding great produce, like green peppers as large as a fist [no they have not been genetically altered] and cut our food costs.
We've joined a wine club and discovered regions with wine that we had not visited before. We took our first road trip together, and hosted both sets of our parents, our siblings, friends, and uncles/aunts who visited [not all at the same time]. Everyone who has visited us has come away realizing that we have created a good nest in our first year. We won't live in our apartment forever, and so, the physical location will change in time. However, the "nest" is as emotional/mental as it is physical. It's where you go home; it's who you go home to.
In many ways, it has been the best year of my life. It's been the first year of my life that I have fully shared with another person since I left home in 1996 [for college].
These are some thoughts / observations / lessons from Year 1:
1) Never clean / dry a wine glass with wet hands.
2) Never disregard the strength of Serrano peppers. Definitely do not touch your cheeks or eyes after chopping one.
3) Football does not matter as much as it once did. I still like it, but I think there was always a part of me using it as a surrogate for something missing in my life.
4) My wife is one of the most practical people I know.
5) "World is going to eat you up." followed up by " ...... the World? ......" -- from our 4.75 yr old nephew.
6) We prefer Alexander Valley.
7) Cast iron cookware is amazing to use in the kitchen.
8) Be careful for what one asks for -- one will get it at some point. For example, Jan-May 2011 was an extremely busy time. My wife knows what I am talking about.
9) I don't really get mad, but I can speak loudly. I need to do a better job of tempering that.
10) Shipping a car cross country is a not trivial task.
11) I want to give a shout out / acknowledgement to my friends out here -- you're no longer my friends; you're OUR friends. Y'all have helped make my wife feel part of the family out here.
12) Electronic bill pay is a good thing.
13) My wife and I work well together. We have different things we do well, and so, we complement each other well. This works with synchronicity when we cook meals.
14) Coffee in the Caribbean is amazing.
15) Admiral Rodney -- I know you are out there. I will find you. It's the best rum [dark rum] I have ever had. Argh, if only the duty free store had it on our way out!
I'll start posting on this blog more often from here on out.
Until next time, HAAR!
California is an odd place, at least Northern CA. It's autumnal weather year round, and you require a jacket on some days and every night, even in the middle of summer. And then, there is the incessant fog and drizzle rain. Heh, Seattle-lite.
We got home in the evening a year ago, and her aunt had kindly picked us up from the airport. She brought us these Indian lentil loaf things, called "Handvo". She also brought us milk so that we could have some and make coffee the next day.
I cannot say enough about her aunt and uncle. They have done so much for us, helping my wife especially know that there is family here for her and that people love her. Yes, I love her, but love is not always enough especially when you are removed from everything familiar to you.
It is a testament to the toughness of my wife, however, at how fast she assimilated and rode out the initial hardships. In many ways, outside of our parents and what they experienced, she is the bravest person I know.
We've been able to carve out a niche in our community, which we love. We enjoy our local gym and have gotten to know the other regulars there. We've found our favorite breakfast food locales and found a taco shop we cannot get enough of. We've made friends with our local ethnic food market. It has led us to finding great produce, like green peppers as large as a fist [no they have not been genetically altered] and cut our food costs.
We've joined a wine club and discovered regions with wine that we had not visited before. We took our first road trip together, and hosted both sets of our parents, our siblings, friends, and uncles/aunts who visited [not all at the same time]. Everyone who has visited us has come away realizing that we have created a good nest in our first year. We won't live in our apartment forever, and so, the physical location will change in time. However, the "nest" is as emotional/mental as it is physical. It's where you go home; it's who you go home to.
In many ways, it has been the best year of my life. It's been the first year of my life that I have fully shared with another person since I left home in 1996 [for college].
These are some thoughts / observations / lessons from Year 1:
1) Never clean / dry a wine glass with wet hands.
2) Never disregard the strength of Serrano peppers. Definitely do not touch your cheeks or eyes after chopping one.
3) Football does not matter as much as it once did. I still like it, but I think there was always a part of me using it as a surrogate for something missing in my life.
4) My wife is one of the most practical people I know.
5) "World is going to eat you up." followed up by " ...... the World? ......" -- from our 4.75 yr old nephew.
6) We prefer Alexander Valley.
7) Cast iron cookware is amazing to use in the kitchen.
8) Be careful for what one asks for -- one will get it at some point. For example, Jan-May 2011 was an extremely busy time. My wife knows what I am talking about.
9) I don't really get mad, but I can speak loudly. I need to do a better job of tempering that.
10) Shipping a car cross country is a not trivial task.
11) I want to give a shout out / acknowledgement to my friends out here -- you're no longer my friends; you're OUR friends. Y'all have helped make my wife feel part of the family out here.
12) Electronic bill pay is a good thing.
13) My wife and I work well together. We have different things we do well, and so, we complement each other well. This works with synchronicity when we cook meals.
14) Coffee in the Caribbean is amazing.
15) Admiral Rodney -- I know you are out there. I will find you. It's the best rum [dark rum] I have ever had. Argh, if only the duty free store had it on our way out!
I'll start posting on this blog more often from here on out.
Until next time, HAAR!
1 comment:
I am so glad you guys are here. And I am especially glad because Rachana is here and she's really a friend to me now. And honestly, no matter where you guys end up, we'll be friends for life. :)
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