We knew that we’d have to adjust our perspective a little.
My current twenty minute commute to work (including the 7 minute walk from the garage) would be nothing compared to an hour+ on the CalTrain if I found a job in the city. We knew this. We knew that we were going to have to pay at least double for rent (and we weren’t in a cheap place to start). We knew that we couldn’t do it without relocation. We knew all this.
We knew nothing.
We had no idea how hard it would be to find a place that was pet friendly. I mean, have you seen my dog? Places should pay us to have the privilege of having that much cuteness in residence. We had no idea what the “twice our current rent” estimate would get us… places two steps down from the nice, slightly older, but still nice and somewhat current place we live now. We had no idea that Chris would probably be looking at half an hour in traffic, too… even if we just lived ten miles away from his work. We had no idea that relocation would drop almost in half once taxes were taken out of the bonus. We had no idea how demoralizing something so exciting could be.
The worst part was having to be moral support over the phone as Chris searched, frustrated, three thousand miles away.
But then, there it was… a place that was nice… only one bedroom, but workable. And another place, just as nice, only a little more expensive. And another. Perfect. More space than we needed. For less than other places that were less nice. Pet-friendly, nice area, good feel to the place. It was like finding a unicorn.
We have two bedrooms and a loft. A LOFT. A huge loft for an office/sewing area and a second bedroom to actually have a guest bedroom. To repay all the people who’s couches and guest rooms we’ve crashed on through the years. To give our families a place to stay. 
A loft, guys… a LOFT. I am in LOVE with the idea of a loft, I don’t even know why.
I can’t wait to live there.
[...] the big event in August was the actual move: the challenge of finding a place, of getting Elphie out here, the missing [...]