moving to California, 1 week later…

Wow, can you believe the difference that a week can make? Within this past week, I have emptied my Philadelphia apartment, moved across the country, started a new job, and signed a lease. All in a matter of 7 days. Not gonna sugarcoat it, it’s been stressful. There were moments where I just wanted to hide under the covers. It’s hard to not have a ‘home’ and to be in this weird grey area of flux. Currently, I am living in a hotel in Corte Madera, so my commute to the office has been somewhat lengthy and very damp. That being said, on Saturday I went into San Francisco proper and began my apartment search where I stumbled upon a tiny gem of a studio. It’s got ‘me’ written all over it: vintage enameled bath tub, janky metal fire escape, and two walk in closets. (I didn’t have a single closet in Philly!) And the pièce de résistance, a newly remodeled kitchen with a full-sized gas stove! Bread production is going to resume in full swing once I move in.

So this experience has been really great. I’m taking the ups with the downs, all in stride. I’m so unbelievably happy to be here and back on the West Coast. I couldn’t feel better about the decision I made to come here and all of the adventures that I have yet to experience.

Photography by Greg Zulkie.

Behind The Blog

Joanna Hawley-McBride is a Pacific Northwest-based social media strategist, content creator, and former textile designer. Joanna is the founder and editor-in-chief of Jojotastic, a lifestyle blog focused on Joanna’s work-in-progress cabin, finding the best pair of underwear through #UnderwearThesis, and empowering women to explore nature — all in her signature unfiltered style. Her work has been featured in Domino, CNBC, and Eating Well.

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11 Comments

  1. 2.11.14
    Erica said:

    yay that’s so exciting! can’t wait for an apt tour ;)

    • 2.16.14
      joanna said:

      it make take me awhile to settle in, but it will happen!

      • 2.23.14
        Erica said:

        I moved into my current apartment 2 months ago and still don’t really feel like I’ve moved in to the point where I can share things on the interwebs.. ha!

  2. 2.11.14
    Samantha Hahn said:

    apartment photos please!

  3. 2.11.14
    Susan said:

    So insane…glad things are settling a bit, and I can’t wait to know more about the job!

  4. 2.11.14
    Jaime Derringer said:

    California is so excited that you are here!

    • 2.16.14
      joanna said:

      this is the best place on earth, i swear.

  5. 2.11.14

    Your new place sounds amazing! Hope your move goes smoothly :)