Should we stay in San Diego or move back to N.Cal?
Pros in staying in San Diego:
- Wedding photography business - we can shoot weddings all year round and I love to shoot outdoor weddings. We are getting more established here.
- We like our church here (Kairos Christian Church)
- It's cheaper to live here.
- It's a pain to move.
- We currently live really close to our friends!
Cons: Allergies and dry weather. Unless you live close to the Ocean, San Diego is not that pretty due to lack of trees. Bad Chinese food.
Pros in moving to N.Cal:
- Closer to my parents - good for us when we have kids.
- Nat is in Davis and he wants to stay in the bay area, i think.
- Closer to all of my college friends.
- Bay area feels more like home.
- More trees and rain. It's prettier. Better Chinese food.
Cons: Expensive. We cannot afford to live close to our friends. Moving our business to N.Cal is a huge risk.
Comments (11)
Well, you know what I think... but let me tell you why:
- As for the business, you make a good point. San Diego is probably more likely to be a "destination wedding" location than the bay area. But... this may give you the opportunity to explore different locations and lighting schemes. Napa is quite beautiful, as is Marin County, Santa Cruz, and parts of the East Bay can look nice from the right angle. Christina mentioned that Bay Area clientele may be willing to pay more...
- as for your family, I'd say that this factor trumps the rest. When you're in that period of time +/- six months from giving birth, you're really going to want to have YOUR mother around (Christina apologetically told me that she prefers the attention of her mother to mine). Just having that support during the first few months with Emmett was invaluable. Even now, we miss them dearly.
The cost factor is a big one, I'll grant you, but there are ways to live in the Bay Area "on the cheap." Now is the time to move if you want to take advantage of the economy.
Bottom line: God will put you where you need to be. If He intends you to be in the Bay Area, He'll pave the way financially, emotionally, relationally, etc. If He intends you to be in SD, He'll do the same there. Christina says, "Stop fighting God, you're just gonna lose." But then again, I'VE got the MDiv.
San Diego doesn't feel like home?
Move to N.Cal. You're more loved here. ;)
Stay would be my first reaction, because it sucks to keep losing cool people (to wherever, not just to Norcal). But to Go would be the adventurous thing to do, but know you probably will Never come back. Do you really want that?
hehe why r u asking us? Ask God.
It makes sense to me that Norcal feels like home. I think San Diego will always be "home"... of course Norcal is starting to feel more familiar, but it's hard to undo attachment.
To add to your San Diego pro list... you get to watch chargers games on LOCAL TELEVISION. Also, you get to listen to Jeff and Jer!!
And to affirm your Norcal list... my allergies have been close to nonexistent!
Candy you've made the best case of why i should stay in SD - Chargers and Jeff and Jer! :) nice. :)
for me, relocation would be where i'd want to raise my children. since julia and i are going to start having kids very soon, this plays a big part of our life.
NorCal = FAMILY. You got all kinds of family here. Me, your parents and sister, Daniel's grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles etc. Not to mention CEFers.
And if you have kids in NorCal, I will be around a lot babysitting, guaranteed! =P
oh man, I have to agree with Nat on babysitting. :D
And if you really wanna save money, you can live in that nice new house our parents have now. Maybe by the time you guys do decide to move up here, I'll already move out to a place of my own (maybe, not seriously thinking yet) while you and daniel can just take over the room we grew up in...I did have the walls in peach/orange though. hope you two would like that. hahaha
oh and Napa is gorgeous! I went there with my friends for wine tasting, and if cost isn't an issue, that would be my dream wedding location. :D
The city (meaning SF) will definitely give a different vibe than the SD outdoor shoots. It'll be more urban/grunge/chic feel I would think.
I know what you mean about northern cali feeling like home.... I think it's because your parents are there...
I've lived in Southern California since 2003 and it still doesn't feel like home.
You should just move when you are pregnant or ready to have a baby.