Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Reflecting on Three Months


Hard to believe we have reached the quarter point of our one-year stay up here. We arrived early August and it's already November. I figure this is a good opportunity to document what I've done so far and what I want to do in the rest of our time here. This post will also  provide some general thoughts on the experience to date. First up:

What I have done:
  • Hosted 10 sets of different visitors
  • Kayaked on the Gualala River
  • Attended classic movie night at the barn
  • Attended a lecture at the art center
  • Went tidepooling
  • Volunteered at the River Run
  • Several farmer's market trips
  • Enjoyed our 7th anniversary dinner at St. Orres
  • Joined Rotary International
  • Soaked a lot in the hot tub
  • Read more books
  • Started this blog
  • Swam laps at the pool
  • Camped at Gualala Point Regional Park
  • Made three trips back to Southern CA for work.

And some things I would like to do, or continue to do in the months ahead:

  • Read a book a week
  • Volunteer with the docent program for the harbor seals (they have pups close to our house in spring)
  • Visit the farm where we get our CSA
  • Check out the local winery (Annapolis Vineyards)
  • Go to Bowling Ball beach
  • Visit the Marin French Cheese factory in Petaluma
  • Swim more laps, more consistently
  • Maintain this blog
  • Attend a movie in Point Arena
  • Road trip to Arcata to the old college stomping grounds
  • Publish my "Life List" on my blog before Thanksgiving

And now, my overall impressions:

  • The stunning landscape surprises me most days
  • I love seeing wildlife everyday
  • Hearing the ocean any time of the day is awesome
  • The small town of Gualala has most things you need, just not a lot of selection
  • People are very nice, but it's been hard to make friends
  • Working from home makes you more productive
  • Working from home can be isolating
  • We've been cooking more, which I really enjoy
  • A three hour drive to the airport (OAK or SFO) is a drag.

I'll plan to do a six month update in February. Until then, I hope you all keep exploring where you are!

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