After only 7 months away, we're returning to the Bay Area.
It's not been an easy decision to make, as the move we made to El Dorado Hills has enabled us to be closer to some family, other family has moved up as well, and our home, neighborhood, commute, schools and so much more are far superior to anything we had available to us in Silicon Valley. I really like this area and would be quite happy to sit back, watch it continue to grow, watch our house value rise, and have my kids able to walk 2 blocks to one of the best schools in the nation. I've had this idealized view of them living a fairly secure, wholesome, 'Andy Griffith Show' existence, sans Aunt Bee of course. She creeps me out.
Sadly, after ducking and dodging concerns and issues around Asbestos, West Nile Virus, our first summer with 115 degree heat, and generally having adjusted to a new environment, we've hit a major stumbling block: my son's asthmatic reactions to the pollution in this region, which is far greater then we knew or even thought to consider. I won't go into details here but the bottom line is that he's having issues, they could worsen or he could adapt but still be subject to further complications down the line, and that prospect was enough to decide we have to take action, return to where it was not a problem, and regroup.
I've been extremely fortunate to come across a wonderful opportunity within Apple, back in Cupertino, which has a real 'dream job' aspect to it. It will allow me to work on web/database reporting/information systems, something I have a true passion and interest in. Moving back is a tough decision when we're leaving behind all of the positives of the El Dorado Hills area, but with this opportunity, it makes it far more appealing.
We anticipate being back in the area in mid-late October. We'll have some short-term housing for about 30 days, during which time we'll be focused heavily on finding a rental home that we can afford while continuing to pay a mortgage on our home in El Dorado Hills. We anticipate selling it but the market may necessitate waiting until Spring.
