It was almost exactly two years ago that I posted my break up letter blog post with California. I don’t think that I’ve read through that post again until now. It’s very interesting to look back through my own words and see what my mindset was two years ago when I about to make a pretty significant life change. It’s pretty clear now that I was just a young, uncertain lad still trying to figure out what to do with my life. I’m not claiming that I’m all that different today, but I’m pretty sure that I’m two years older and two years wiser now.

If there’s one thing that I’ve learned in the past two years is that you need to take opportunities when they are presented to you, otherwise there’s a very good chance you might not get another shot. I had the opportunity to move to New York City two years ago and I took it because I knew the older I got the more difficult it would be to make that drastic of a change. New York City is a wonderfully unique, lively, surprising and beautiful city. I wanted to experience that kind of energy before I got old and crotchety and desired a lawn so I could yell at kids for being on it.

Okay, maybe I’m getting a little ahead of myself but you see what I’m getting at.

The point is I got to live in the greatest city on Earth for a substantial amount of time. How many people get to say that? But all good things must come to an end. I will be moving back to California to take on a new role at Google. I’ll be joining the Google News team as UI Designer. My last day in NYC and first day back in California will be July 24.

Would I have preferred to stick around NYC a couple more years? Absolutely. I love it here. My original plan was to live in NYC for at least three years, preferably four or five. I feel like you could live here your entire life and still barely scratch the surface of everything this city can offer. I knew I couldn’t live here forever, though, and when a really good career opportunity became available that happened to be back in California, I felt that if I didn’t take it I might miss out.

I know that I may have been a teeny bit vocal about my dissatisfaction with living in California the last time, but I honestly feel the situation is significantly different this time. For one, my financial situation is much better now. I can afford to live on my own, do some traveling and enjoy more of the nifty things that California has to offer. I also feel like I’ve grown up quite a bit in the past two years. I’m no longer in the post-college panic, constantly wondering what the hell I’m doing with my life and worried that I’m wasting precious time. I’m much more content with taking things one day at a time now and enjoying life as it comes. I’m optimistic that my second stint in California will turn out much better than my first.

I’m also not going to put any self-imposed duration goals on my second stay in California. If I have a reason to leave at some point in the future then I’ll leave again. And if I have a reason to stay then maybe I’ll even stay forever (gasp!).

One thing’s for sure, using “One thing’s for sure” is a great way to end a introspective piece of writing like this one.

After an especially painful dislocation, I eventually had my shoulder operated on. It’s been problem free ever since. While consulting with the surgeon prior to surgery, I mentioned that I also had an elbow problem in both my elbows but significantly worse in my left elbow. Turns out I had ulnar nerve sublaxation which is when the ulnar nerve that runs along the elbow will snap out out of place, essentially dislocate, when the arm is moved. This is the same nerve that causes the “funny bone” sensation so it’s not a pleasant disorder to say the least.

But no worries! The surgeon said he’d give me the 2 for 1 deal (not really, I’m sure it cost my parents’ insurance quite a bit) and fix both the shoulder and elbow at the same time. He batted .500 that day; the elbow problem was never corrected. I’ve managed to live with it since then, but recently, in the past few months, it’s become progressively painful and annoying. I was getting concerned that I might be doing some permanent damage if I didn’t do something about it. I figured it was about time to get it looked at again.

I found an NYU orthopedist online with good reviews (yay internet!) who specializes in elbow and shoulder disorders. He basically said that the surgery failed because my previous surgeon wasn’t experienced (and possibly wasn’t skilled) enough to do the required procedure. Regardless, surgery is the only way to correct the problem so it looks like I will need to have the same operation again sometime in the future. Luckily, he said I’m probably not doing any irreversible damage by prolonging the operation so I can safely wait a bit longer.

He gave me the name of the best elbow surgeon in the area for this procedure, so now I just need to figure out the best time. I’d rather not spend six weeks of summer in a sling so maybe fall or winter.

There’s never really a convenient time to have only one useable arm. I have enough trouble dressing myself as it is.

Step 2: Cook pasta on stovetop.

Step 3: While cooking pasta, open jar of tomato sauce and pour small amount into microwave safe vessel for heating.

Step 4: Place lid back on jar of tomato sauce.

Step 5: With firm grip, twist lid to secure seal on jar.

Step 6: Become convinced that seal is not tight enough as it should be (or at least, can be); tighten lid more.

Step 7: While exerting incredibly unnecessary effort, clumsily lose grip of both lid and jar.

Step 8: Send contents of jar (red tomato sauce) flying across kitchen, splattering on walls, countertops, appliances, self.

Step 9: Ruin pants, new sweater, chances of being on Top Chef next season.

Step 10: Stand motionless for several minutes marveling at elegant tomato splatter patterns and own stupidity.

Step 11: FFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

Step 12: Reflect on lessons learned.

Things are going great

There you go. Updated. Okay seriously, it’s turned out to be better than I ever expected. New York City is so much fun and there’s always stuff going on. Plus, you don’t have drive anywhere and worry about parking. Plus, there’s amazing food on every corner. Plus, the music scene is incredible. Plus, the seasons change.

In summary, I can’t think of anywhere I’d rather live at this stage of my life. But with that said:

New York City is expensive

I had been making steady progress on my student loans, but I feel like I’ve slowed down quite a bit since moving here. I’m not sure if it’s just the allure of a big city, but I find it harder not to splurge on things.

How long will I live here?

I don’t know, but I have no plans to leave anytime soon. I’m having too much fun and there’s a lot that I need to accomplish here. I’m guessing I’ll be a city slicker for at least the next four years. After that it might be time to mellow out in the suburbs somewhere, but then again, maybe not.

P.S. Gogo inflight wifi is pretty sweet.

P.P.S. The “Mile High” Foursquare badge I just earned is pretty sweet as well.

It’s been a long term goal to eventually buy a new electric guitar. I sold my previous one in California before I move back to the east coast and I’ve been meaning to upgrade at some point, but I’ve had a few other toys to keep me occupied for the time being and a few reasons why I shouldn’t be spending my disposable income on things that make me happy.

The Gibson SG Standard has always been my dream guitar, but they don’t make the natural sunburst finish anymore and that’s what I really wanted. It’s certainly not impossible to find, but it’s difficult to find new. My options were to either resort to buying it from some weirdo on eBay (ugh) or to search around in random music stores until I found it. I made a mental note to keep an eye out but I wasn’t in any rush.

But as fate would have it, I randomly wandered into the 30th Street Guitars and there it was. One of maybe four SGs that they had total. I was in shock for a few minutes. As I stood there staring up, with my jaw almost touching the floor, and the store clerk asking me to please stop drooling on amps, I remember vividly hearing Wayne Campbell proclaiming “It will be mine, oh yes, it will be mine.”

Or maybe I had actually said it out loud.

I knew I wanted it, but I still needed some encouragement to dish out a substantial sum of money. In the past I would have just flipped a coin or asked a magic 8 ball, but we have the Internet now and the Internet is never wrong.

So I asked the Internet.

And within a few minutes I got the answer I was looking for. “Outlook good :)”. Good enough for me!

“Not today, my good man. I’m feeling saucy. I think I’m gonna buy it. Do you accept…cash? Cha-ching.”

I drove back to New York. New York City, that is.

When I moved to California from New York three years ago I did the drive in four days. I did the reverse drive in about five days. I also logged the entire trip in Google Latitude thanks to the new location history app. Here are 450 data points from my drive. I’m not sure how that single St. Louis plot got there. I may have drifted off the road into a vortex or something.

View Larger Map

I also took some crappy, and relatively boring pictures along the way with my iPhone, geo-tagged for your viewing pleasure.

I moved to Brooklyn. Greenpoint, that is.

Greenpoint is a fun little Polish neighborhood located in the north part of Brooklyn. I love it so far. It’s a lot cleaner and quieter than Williamsburg, but is only a 10 minute subway ride away for when I get brave enough to face the hipsters. I’m also 15 minutes away from Manhattan, and less than 30 minutes away from work.

There’s also a lot of great food, coffee shops, and stores around. My street looks like this.

I’m working in Manhattan. Chelsea, that is.

It’s great. I sold my car and commute on the subway. My building looks like this. The Google office in NYC is definitely a lot smaller than the Mountain View office, but it’s still very exciting and there a lot of fun things going on all the time. Plus, it’s in NYC. California doesn’t have a NYC.

I’m hoping to get back into blogging once again now that I finally have internets in my apartment. There’s a lot of stuff going on around here. I should have made this move a long time ago.

I’ve been able to keep my excitement in check by doing some test runs of the trip back in Google Maps with Street View directions. Here are a few highlights:

Leaving Santa Clara, CA

Just outside Salt Lake City

Approaching Denver, CO

Chicago!

Fulton, NY – My hometown

Brooklyn! My new home

Want to try out my planned road trip for yourself? Here’s a link to the map!

I now have an opportunity to do the same trip, this time in reverse, and with better weather and a little more time. Right now, it’s looking like I’ll be making the voyage the last week of September.

Below, I’ve mapped out a first draft of a potential route. They key stops are marked.

View CA > NY Option #1 in a larger map

Here’s my reasoning for the stops I chose:

1. Salt Lake City, UT — 11h from Santa Clara, CA

If I could make it to Denver in one day, I probably would, but 18 hours of straight driving is a bit too much. So Salt Lake City looks like a good place to stop. I actually stopped here on my way out to California. It was beautiful in the Winter. I’d like to see how it looks in the early Fall as well. Stopping in SLC will also set me up with a nice arrival time in the Denver area…

2. Denver, CO — 7h30m from SLC

Yeah, I stopped here my last cross-country drive as well, but I like Colorado. Also, my brother lives here, so it’s a necessary stop. On top of that, I can’t think of a better way to say goodbye to some of my favorite beers, those brewed by the New Belgium Brewery in Fort Collins CO, than by visiting the actual brewery for a complementary 1554 and/or seasonal brew. Unfortunately for me, they don’t distribute anywhere east of Chicago :( Speaking of Chicago…

3. Chicago — 14h30m from Denver

This would be my longest day of driving, but there really isn’t much between Denver and Chicago anyway. I’d like to spend at least a full day in Chicago. It’s been over three years since I’ve been there and I’m long overdue. Plus it’s the only remaining city I have left on the “Cities I need to visit in 2009″ list that I made at the beginning of the year. I also know people in Chicago, so I guess I should say hi.

4. New York, NY — 12h30m from Chicago

My new home! I’ll leave myself the option to take a detour during this stretch and stop in my hometown of Fulton, NY if needed, but it actually looks like my parents will be in NYC the same weekend that I’m arriving, so I might not have a reason to.

So that’s my first draft of the road trip schedule. I’ll probably revise it several times before I go. Do I have it all wrong? Have any other recommendations?

I know it’s a cliché break-up line, but I think it’s actually very fitting in this situation. I really do like you, California, but at this stage in my life I’m afraid we’re just not right for each other. As you may recall, I’ve been quite vocal about this issue in the past. So when I was recently given an opportunity to relocate to New York City, I had to accept it. No, this has nothing to do with your recent financial hardship. I don’t care about the money (or lack thereof). And no, this has nothing to do with your wheatgrass smoothies and organic flax seed crackers. I’m cool with that, I really am. This is all about me and my desire to live in a cramped apartment and rely on a filthy subway system to get around. Call me crazy, but that’s just what I’m looking for right now.

But, California, we still have a few months together, and I’d still like to remain friends after we go our separate ways (well, actually it’s just me that is going a separate way, unless you decide to break off into the ocean). So I thought I would take this opportunity to reflect on our two and a half years together and to perhaps express a bit of long overdue gratitude.

First off, let me be honest about something. I really had no intention of becoming acquainted with you, California. Upon graduating from college in upstate New York, I was primarily looking for jobs in metropolitan areas on the east coast, or at least reasonably close to the east coast. My heart belonged to places like Boston, New York City, and Chicago. But then you came along, California, offering intrigue and a career opportunity that was too good to pass up. We had actually never met before. I had only heard about you from watching Saved By The Bell reruns on Saturday morning television. So I packed up my car up with sunscreen, fluorescent green sunglasses, and acid-washed jeans and drove 3,000 miles across the country to be with you. Although I don’t like to admit that we met on a blind date, we both know it’s really the truth.

Our first year together was great, wasn’t it California? Although you weren’t quite like what Saved By The Bell led me to believe, I found your endless sunshine and undeniably laid-back attitude fresh and new. We saw a lot that first year. There were beaches and snow capped mountains, Golden bridges and breathtaking vineyards. And food. Did I mention the food? Never in my life had I seen so much variety in food within driving distance. And I can’t forget the incredible, fresh produce available all year long. Oh, yeah, and out In-N-Out.

Most importantly, I’d like to thank you, California, for introducing me to so many incredible people. Through you, I’ve made many friends for life. Saying goodbye to these friends will undoubtedly be the hardest part about leaving. But like you must surely understand by now, California, these friends I’m sure also understand why I must be moving on. They’ve done a marvel job putting up with my complaining all this time.

It was probably after our first year together, California, that I realized we wouldn’t be together forever. I began longing for the faster paced east coast city lifestyle that I originally intended to have after college. Unfortunately, at the time I wasn’t sure what the best way to end our relationship was, which is why it’s taken me so long to tell you all of this. I hope you’ll forgive me, California. I never intended for it to end this way. I admit, a blog post is not the most respectful way to break up with someone.

And so in closing, California, I’d like to thank you for the memories, life lessons, adventures, minor earthquakes and friendships. If given the opportunity to do it all over again, would I change anything? Absolutely not. It’s been an incredible, irreplaceable experience. But don’t be sad, California. I’m certain that we will still see each other from time to time. I hope we can find the time to meet up whenever I need a dose of sunshine or a reminder that my carbon footprint is a little bigger than it should be.

P.S.  Mind if I take like 30 of your avocados with me when I leave? kthx!

As much as I would love to go back to school full time, common sense kicked in after I recently glanced at my continuously growing pile of student loans and realized that I would have to be a complete idiot to take out even more. I’m now thinking that school part time is the best option. I don’t think I can afford to give up an income, even for just a year.

Unfortunately this decision makes my other goal, which is to eventually leave California, even more difficult. If only I could somehow live in Chicago. Depaul has a part time HCI program downtown. Plus, Chicago is awesome.

I’ll figure something out.