Updated Growth & Balance

The house we put an offer on did not get accepted. And all we can do is be thankful for the opportunity to learn something. The house would have been great, but this surely means that there's something better in the works for us. Of course, we haven't been able to see what it is, given the limited listings out there right now. So we've expanded our search area with the mindset of being open to areas outside of Long Beach and Lakewood. 

You won't catch us back in The Valley (sorry Betty & Jane), but you will catch us learning more about which areas in South LA County (and maybe even North Orange County) are favorable to live in. Which is crazy to me because just a few years ago I couldn't see myself living outside of the San Fernando Valley unless I lived out of state (which I found plenty of excuses to not do). 

I was born and raised in the heart of the SFV and grew to love it, in all its heat and traffic. I know it like the back of my hand. I'm comfortable there. I know where the good restaurants are, where the cheapest gas is, which areas are acceptable to settle down in and which areas I wouldn't walk around during the daytime in. I have friends and family there, I could play softball 7 days a week there, and I know where my private sanctuaries are when I don't want anyone to find me. But it's occurred to me that there's more to my life than just what I know; more than just what I'm comfortable with. In fact, my life has been more about everything I don't know lately, and it's been leading me to happiness.

I didn't realize it at the time, but moving to Long Beach was a big step for me a couple of years ago. It's taught me that the reason you come isn't always the reason you stay. It's taught me that settling in isn't always settling down. It's taught me that I can change my surroundings but until I change myself it's all the same. And it's taught me that I can be comfortable anywhere I live as long as I hold balance high in priority. 

So cheers to moving on and moving up. And growth. And balance. And the integration of all these things to find exactly what we want in life.