I hate moving. I hate packing the boxes, moving the boxes, moving the furniture, prepping places to leave, etc. I do enjoy exploring a new place, and unpacking and organizing books.

After just over two years of living in the beautiful Santa Cruz mountains, I have decided to move north to a tiny town on the California coast.

There are many benefits to this: I'll have access to public transportation lines, I'll be closer to the jobs that hire people with my skills, I'll have more room (which I think the kids will love), and the rent is probably the best deal in the state.

A good friend needs someone to rent his house, and he doesn't want to rent it to just anyone, for a variety of reasons. As a result, he's charging maybe 1/3 of what he should be charging for rent. So, it's definitely affordable and beneficial.

But I will miss the mountains and the places I have grown to love. I'll still be near friends, but I'll also be further away from others. I won't be able to go to Santa Cruz as much; I won't be able to have writing dates with some of my writing friends as frequently.

But I'll also have the opportunity to develop relationships with new friends, and make new friends, and explore more of Northern California.

I love this part of the country. It's beautiful, full of opportunity, and comes complete with wonderful people. And it has the ocean and mountains.