Good bye California...

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In about 12 hours I will be stepping onto a plane and leaving California - perhaps not forever, but for what I hope is a very long time just because I wanna feel like my move has been successful.

It's... an odd feeling. It's been an odd week, saying good bye to all my friends and family and my cat (god am I going to miss that cat) and my job and places I have loved here in San Jose (like that little Korean restaurant down the street, or City Diner - honestly I feel like I've eaten out for most of my meals this week, and mostly it was other people paying for it). I'm really gonna miss it...

...but I actually find myself growing more and more excited for New York. I'm excited to be near Sarah again. I'm excited for all the museums I wanna visit. And I'm excited to start my job. (Oh, yeah, I got a part time dental reception job, though I'm still gonna keep looking because part time isn't gonna pay my rent.)

Still bummed about the cat though. She's on my lap as I type this and I can't quite come to terms with the fact that it might be the last time I'll have her in my lap.

The next you hear from me, I'll be in New York!
-Nym

It's Sarah Winchester's Death Day

Today I went back to work.

Okay, that's not entirely accurate. I leave California in 3 days. As much as I wish I could stay at Winchester, I can't. But I did have to turn in my uniform so I could get my uniform deposit back. And I figured I would do it today, because today is the 94th anniversary of Sarah Winchester's death.

Rest in peace, you wonderful tiny woman.

Sarah Winchester passed away on 5 September 1922, of heart failure, in the beautiful mansion where I worked for about a year and a half. We don't know her birthday, unfortunately, but she would have been in her early 80s. In tribute, every year on this day, the House's bell is rung 13 times at the 13th hour - 1 PM. (I filmed it too.)

Farewell, Winchester Mystery House

It's September now, and I need to start packing so I can move myself across the country. And that means saying good bye to my beloved job. I can't very well keep it; New York City to San Jose would be one hell of a commute. And so, with a heavy heart, I drove to work yesterday knowing that it would be my last day working in that "Beautiful but Bizarre™" place.

It's... difficult for me to express in words exactly how much this house means to me. It's become like my second home, with my coworkers like my second family and Sarah Winchester as our ghostly matriarch. I don't think anyone who's read my blog has any doubts that I loved working here, and leaving it was difficult.

Battle of the Homes: Winchester Versus Hearst!

One of the things I'm gonna miss a lot about being a tour guide at the Winchester Mystery House is the questions I get from guests. I've heard so many in the year and a half (well, just about a year and a half!) that I've worked here. Some are really intriguing - I have no idea how people come up with these things, but it really keeps me on my toes.

For example, on Saturday - my very last Saturday working at the mansion I've come to love so dearly - after one of my tours, two of my guests came up and asked me this:

"In today's real estate market, which would go for more money - this place, or Hearst Castle?"

(I'm paraphrasing, I don't remember their exact words, but that's the question.)

The Saturn Cafe and Antique Photos

I don't have a terrible amount of time yet in California. My last day of work is on Wednesday, and after that I have a week left before my flight. Though I don't have a lot of money, I'm trying to use the time I have left to say good bye to beloved places and to experience places I've always longed to try. One such beloved place is Santa Cruz, and one such place I longed to try was their Saturn Cafe in their downtown area. So a few days ago - last Wednesday in fact - a friend and I decided to make a day out of it so I could try that restaurant and say goodbye to Santa Cruz!

Okay, first off, the decor of the Saturn Cafe does not disappoint. Retro diners are kitschy by their very nature, and I adore them, to the point that if I ever did have a house of my own (not likely in New York!) I'd wanna theme the kitchen in that retro kitsch aesthetic. The Saturn Cafe, however? It takes that retro aesthetic and combines it with a kitsch take on outer space. The result is the greatest aesthetic for a place I've ever seen. Retro glitter black-and-pink space age madness is the look I want to achieve.

Things Are Starting to Come Together... Kind Of

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As my move draws closer and closer, it begins to feel more and more real, to the point where my anxiety is at an all time high even though things are starting to kind of come together. (Basically, I go through my days feeling like I've just taken 8 shots of espresso.)

I don't really have anything permanent lined up yet, which I suppose is where the anxious feeling comes from. But I do have some job interviews and apartment viewings set up (finally!) and thanks to airbnb I at least have a couch to crash on until 15 September, which buys me a little bit of time to find an apartment.

My last day at my beloved California job is next Wednesday, 31 Aug. My bookshelf is becoming more and more empty as friends claim and take all the books I cannot bring with me. And this move feels more and more real by the second.

Now if only I could get my brain to calm the hell down.

-Nym-

6 East Coast Excursions I'd Like to Take

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(Putting this under my 'New York' tag even though only one of these is in New York)

As my move draws closer and closer, my emotions are kind of on a pendulum which is swinging steadily back and forth between 'excited and optimistic' and 'terrified out of my fucking mind'. I know that's normal.

But I want to hang on to the excited part, so I decided to list 6 trips that I'd like to take once I'm settled on the East Coast.