2019 | A Year in Review - Danielle Ravitch

|The post 2019 | A Year in Review appeared first on Moonstruck La Vie En Rosé on December 30, 2019|

When I look back on this time last year, I can’t help but think how far we’ve come, and just how much we have accomplished in 2019! So much has changed in 12 months. Our year started with our family living in southern California, and ended with us back in New York!

Its crazy to think that on December 15, 2018 we purchased our tickets to come back home to New York. Ultimately, our decision is what Justin and I both wanted for our family. But, when we finally pulled the trigger and bought our one way tickets back home it was definitely surreal.

We did not give ourselves much time to prepare for a cross county move as a family of four, our departure date was set for June 13. But, you could say that’s how we make most of our decisions – a lot of thought seems to go into weighing out the pros and cons, so much so that when we make a decision to move forward, more often then not, we can get burned out on the whole decision – making process.

But that’s a story for another time…

San Diego| A Quick Recap

In the months leading up to our departure, we explored parts of southern California both familiar and unknown. There were many visits to the San Diego Zoo, a road trip to Disneyland, and many nights spent exploring the sweet treats San Diego has to offer.

There were many days that we spent in sunshine and laughter. But, there were also days that seemed to drag on forever! This made our impending move feel like it was light years away.

If you were to ask me whether or not San Diego is a great place to live, I would urge you to investigate it for yourself. Our first few months were amazing, then reality seemed to set in…this post kept me sane during my time in San Diego. I turned to it when I felt like a fish out of water or when things just didn’t seem to make sense.

Bonus Read | Check out this post for more on my perspective on finding the good.

San Diego| Saying Goodbye.

Our last few weeks in San Diego were riddled with tough decisions. We said goodbye to our family dog, Bella. We knew she would not fare well through the long and demanding travel day. To be honest, we were unsure of whether or not we could give her a good life when we landed in New York. Partly because we had no idea how long it would take for us to get settled.

We basically got rid of most of our possessions. Whatever did not fit into a small pod had to go. I am not going to lie, it is hard saying goodbye to some things when you aren’t sure when or if you will ever purchase them again. Those of sentimental value definitely had their place in our small moving compartment.

But, when our departure date finally arrived, the further East we traveled, I could feel the weight of the world being lifted off my shoulders. I felt it first during our layover in Chicago, when we were surrounded by travelers in the airport. I can’t put my finger on what the difference is between people I’ve encountered in San Diego and those that I have met in/from the Midwest, and the East Coast. But, its definitely there, and you will only know what I mean if you experience it for yourself. I am glad to have met a handful of people that were relatable, genuine, and kind (with a killer sense of humor).

New York | Our Return.

The last six months of 2019 have been a whirlwind! I mentioned before that my parents were gracious enough to let us stay with them once we arrived in New York. This would give us some time to figure everything out like, where we would live. As well as give us the opportunity to go job hunting (no we did not have jobs lined up back here in New York before we arrived).

But, I did not mention that our family of four was staying with my parents in their temporary, two bedroom apartment, as they were waiting for their new home build to be completed. That’s right, my husband and I shared a bedroom (and most nights an air mattress) with our two girls for FOUR MONTHS!

When we found our new home, we jumped on it! It is in a great area with a fantastic school district, and we could not pass up the opportunity. But, we did have to wait a few months before we could move in. That meant celebrating both Nora’s fifth birthday, and Sadie’s second birthday quietly with our family.

When the first day of school arrived, we were still bunking with my parents. They live 30 minutes away from our new home so, that meant long drives in the car to get Nora to and from school for all of September. The transition of sending your little one off to Kindergarten is hard enough, and this extra layer of craziness just seemed to make everything a little bit more difficult.

2019| A Year of Adventure.

Our main concern was getting Nora and Sadie settled in their new school environments. Now that we are a few months in, Justin and I can see them flourishing. Nora absolutely loves going to school, her teachers and all the activities she is involved in. Sadie is no different, she always looks forward to a day at school. Just the other night at the dinner table she started counting in Spanish out of the blue. Their resilience amazes me.

Justin returned to the employer he had prior to our move to San Diego. While his commute is horrendous, he too is enjoying the opportunities for growth as well as, his chance to impact the community he serves.

As for me, I just unpacked my last box from our move this weekend. Let’s just say, I have my hands full trying to keep the girls happy, healthy and on schedule! But, I have big goals and plans in store for 2020!

I guess you could say 2019 was a year of adventure for our family. A time for goodbyes and new beginnings. It has been a year that took us for a wild ride, and brought us closer together. But, then again, every year is riddled with adventures, both big and small. I am excited to see the adventures 2020 has in store for us!

As 2019 comes to a close, I wish you a new year rich with the blessings of love, joy, warmth and laughter!

Happy 2020,