So far, I’ve moved 17 different times and lived in 17 different homes. No, I wasn’t a military brat, nor was I raised by a band of roaming gypsies or a pack of hungry wolves. Though, that might have been fun, too. Instead, early moves often occurred out of necessity (displaced by war) or, later, from my own uncapped wanderlust (prompted by Siberian-esque Midwest winters). Every few years, like clockwork, I sported a new address and a new home phone number.
My parents’ first house had white vinyl siding with faux black window shutters, along a quiet tree-lined street outside of Chicago. I remember thinking our modest home was a modern day castle. All that was missing was a moat. “Someday, I’ll build one for them”, I thought. Whoever said little 6-year-old girls aren’t ambitious? I walked 1.5 blocks to school and skipped home at high noon to watch Mighty Mouse, while mah mah, my Chinese grandmother, prepared lunch – usually leftovers of rice, soup, stir-fried greens of some sort and steamed fish, from the night before. Every gloriously hot summer, I chased down the unmistakable anthem of the neighborhood ice cream truck and pledged my allegiance to Firecracker Popsicles. Hours later, I fired squirt guns, ducked incoming water balloons and hurdled through our oscillating sprinkler, until I had outlasted the sun. Then, wide-eyed and jaw-dropped I sat, as my lightning bug friends transformed the entire front yard into a flickering-pixie-dust-night-show-extravaganza set to the tune of their own silent symphony and choreographed routine.
So many small, magical childhood memories. I thought I’d come home to that house forever.
As I log yet another new address for now, Move #18, I’d love to be able to tell you I’ve been away circumnavigating the globe Up-style or that I’ve been held under strict rules of a Witness Protection Program –as the reasons for my prolonged radio silence. Alas, the only thing that is true, is that I’m terribly sorry I’ve been away so long. Thank you for the cornucopia of kind emails. I’m touched and I’ve missed you guys too. This unexpected move back in the Bay Area feels good. Real good. Nearly a decade ago, I met my husband here. We went on our first date here. We fell in love here. Back exploring our old stomping grounds, everything is oddly familiar, yet shiny and new. There’s hot air balloon rides, beach picnics, county fairs, bounties of local food, wine, and of course, a backlog of new recipes to tell you about. I barely know where to begin.
The love of my life is next to me, as we sit at the hem of the big blue Pacific with the hills of Mt. Tam behind us and the fog humming towards the Golden Gate Bridge in the distance.
I am home. He is my home. The one I’ll come back to forever.
that’s wonderful……
please post more recipes, I’ve been working on the goat cheese and am delighted about the bread.
happy July 4th
I love your pictures!!! I am so glad you are back and that your move went well. I look forward to more posts in the near future, hopefully.
Yay!!! So glad you are home :) What a beautifully written post and even more lovely photographs. I have been patiently awaiting your return and you couldnt have made a more graceful arrival. Welcome back and I join the masses in anticipation of everything you have to share with us!
I stumbled upon your site last month, noticing that it’d been awhile since you posted, but I subscribed, because everything you do is so beautiful. So glad to hear that you are now in Northern California (and may I add that I so wish I could move there too- my sister lives there and everytime I visit, I start going to Open Houses-) and I look forward to reading your blog and viewing your gorgeous photos.
Stunning photos, beautiful story. Welcome back and welcome “home.” =)
You have been missed! It sounds like a good move. I’m looking forward to your backlog of new recipes and more gorgeous photos!
I have thought of you so often in your absence. I’m sorry I wasn’t one of those who sent you kind emails – I meant to!! I’m sorry I won’t get to see you now at a Bainbridge Island yoga retreat, but so happy that you feel home. You certainly have been missed in the blog world and I look forward to seeing more of your gorgeous photos and reading about your amazing food.
beautiful pictures!Welcome back… :)
Hi, hi everyone! So nice to hear from you!
Gypsy – so happy you enjoyed the bread and hope you love the goat cheese just as much.
Thanks so much, Coco & Belinda! You are both too sweet!
So glad to have you, Rebecca! And thanks for your patience. Next time you visit your sister, we’ll go Open House shopping together. :)
Dana – I’m sad I’ll miss the BI Yoga retreats and your delicious food that comes along with them, but you’ll just have to come visit!
I’m so happy to hear you’re back! I would often peek back to your blog from time to time wondering and waiting for you to return with your beautiful photos and delicious food. I wish you and your hubby all the best in your new, yet familiar, location!
Your post made me teary this morning for some reason. I lived near the Bay Area for many years and you brought back such good memories. :-) I too have found my home with my man, and it is the most wonderful comfort. Your photos are gorgeous, just gorgeous. :-)
home is where the heart is :)
What gorgeous shots — looking at these makes me nostalgic for the bay area which is my home too. You really captured the beauty of this lovely and unique place and why is it so easy to miss when you are away.
welcome back, and thanks for sharing the beautiful pictures. where did you go hot air ballooning? it looks absolutely dreamy.
Krista and Lisa – It’s hard to beat Northern California, isn’t it? Give me a shout next time you are both back in town!
Hi i – Yes, it was soooo dreamy! Our hot air balloon took off from Napa. Highly recommend it!
love your images and it’s very nice to have you back!!!
Welcome back.
With how beautiful these photos are, I would like to call this my home too. Happy day.
Great you are back!!! i look forward to your posts…Brightest blessings to you and yours…e*
So glad to see you back!!! My best friend will be moving to the Bay Area soon, and since I have never explored the Northwest I am super excited to plan a trip to see her. I will be emailing you with questions!
Love the photography as always, can’t wait to read more entries!
P. Mark, Melanie and e* – So good to be back!
Ania – Look forward to seeing you and Michael!
Hi Blair! Whatever you need, just let me know. I’m more than happy to help!
Thanks everyone and hope you have a wonderful 4th of July weekend!
Yeah, you’re back. I may not have sent an email, I figured you were out circumventing the globe and had better things to do, but glad to know you are back where it feels right. I may not have moved 17 times, I’m close at 14 but I do know its hard and some places make you feel right and others don’t. San Francisco fits me right too, so welcome home neighbor!
Definitely missed your posts! Glad you’re back!
Lovely to see your photographs and read your words again. I lived in Mill Valley, surrounded by swirling fog and giant oaks, little over a decade ago. I miss the Bay Area –very much sometimes– and I’m looking forward to seeing it again through your eyes and, I’m sure, taste buds! All the best to you. xo Michaela
Welcome back! Thanks as always for the inspiration.
Beautiful pictures!
Such a lovely post. beautiful!
and welcome home !! to you both. what a gorgeous post here, in both its images and words. just lovely. well worth the wait for all of us loyal readers ! i was starting to think that i might actually have to make that irish bread, it’s been tempting me since march ! ;)
good luck settling in, just enjoy every moment. looking forward to all those stories and recipes to come…
Welcome back to this space and thanks for sharing your lovely journey with us. I am glad you are still on the west coast even if it is a little farther away;)
xo
So nice to have you back Giao! And actually really happy that you’ve moved back to the Bay Area because that’s definitely a regular pit stop for me since I went to college there and have many very good friends over there, so perhaps we’ll meet soon. Gorgeous pictures and I’m looking forward to more. =)
Welcome back. Enjoy.
this is so beautiful. all of it.
Beautiful writing.
lovely writing, and bloody hell fantastic photos! You make me want to move to the bay area!
So glad to have you back! I was swept away by your gorgeous photos!
Glad to have you back in the blog world. I just came back from the Bay area and I miss it a whole lot more reading this post. Beautiful!
those are some really, really amazing shots. the second photo (with the hot air balloons from far away) is just gorgeous. LOVE!
LOOOVE this post!! Your writing is incredible!
°super°magnificent° pictures! And your text gave me the impression of meeting a new friend… You know, sometimes, when you meet someone and instantly think “she/he could become a good friend”. Well, that’s it. Even though on the internet you never know / but i was touched by your story *** Looking forward to the rest of it!
Well there you are! I *almost* deleted your bookmark because I figured you had given up this blog and I didn’t need to read about brown Irish soda bread anymore. ;) So glad you’ve settled into a new (old) place to call home and the love of your life is with you!
I missed you too. Lovely to have you back and lovey that you are home again. I grew up in the Bay Area and a certain piece of my heart will always remain in that region. I can’t wait to see what you find to cook in a place where there are so many wonderful local fruits and veggies at your disposal!
Your pictures of the bay area are stunning. I’ve always loved the bay area and in particular the Marin headlands. I’m looking forward to seeing your bay area inspired recipes.
I am so glad you are back :) I can’t wait to see more photos, your images are beautiful!
Congratulations on your move! I too live in the Bay Area (Santa Cruz Mountains), so I can’t wait to read all about all your seasonal produce finds and local places to buy goat milk for homemade goat cheese! I suppose I’ll give you a little while to get settled, but when you guys finally get that goat, I may come knocking at your door :)
Such a beautiful photographs.
I’m so glad that you’re back! And, it appears that we’re neighbors now. :)
Yay, she’s back. Have missed you, your gorgeous photos and recipes! Welcome back, every heart should have a place called home!
Awww. Welcome home. I’m a california girl myself. I’m living out east but still find myself pining for it. My heart will always be there.
beautiful photos. i love the post-processing you did. gorgeous.
was popping in to say hello, first of all i read your post to quickly and thought you were actually in the witness protection program. ha!
Oh, hooray!! Welcome back, Giao, to this space, and your new/old home. (The bit about familiar and at the same time, shiny and new, resonates with me greatly, at the moment.) Postcards from your new backyard are stunning, as always. Looking forward to catching up, as time (and moving boxes) allow…
Yay!! Welcome back! So glad to see you here again. You’ve been greatly missed. I can’t wait to see your new fantastic pictures and recipes. I’m happy for you that you found your home! What a beautifully written post!
What a lovely post! Those lunches your mah mah made sound terribly good! Welcome back to the Bay! I always think about leaving (I’m in the South Bay), but where would I go?
p.s. great pics!
OMG, so glad you’re back posting!!!!! We missed your awesome posts and photography. Gosh just when we decided to go up to Seattle, you’re back in SF! :)
Hey, happened back across your blog after a while. Glad to see you guys have settled in *almost* as beautiful a place as you left here on Bainbridge. :)
Hope all’s well and say hi to Tony!
I love this city.
Absolutely love your site, and I would be so happy to be added to your e-mailings..
Welcome to Napa.. I too live in California.. Camarillo actually.
Thank you so very much,
Best regards,
your writing is so beautiful…