After an epic summer (London, Boston, Tahoe), we finally returned home about a month ago. Stepping back into San Francisco brought a different kind of exhale and a sense of “final” unpacking. The familiar hills, our church community, the kids slipping back into school rhythms - it’s been a seamless return, so much so that sometimes I can’t believe we were gone for a year.
Highlights
Culture shock: Why is boba $8 now?! Truedan, I miss you. Why isn’t there reasonable public transportation in SF? I definitely didn’t miss driving
School: Returning to PKS has been lovely. Lexi & Ellie have settled in quickly, while Tori is still easing into school after Taiwan.
Community: It's been a joy to reunite with friends and family.
Scenes from Our Return
Our first act of getting settled was getting on our bikes and eating some tacos. The kids reunited with their old toys, and we officially moved Tori into the big kids’ room - no more crib! Friends and family welcomed us with open arms, and it’s been such a gift to have play dates again. And best of all, we didn’t break into a sweat every time we stepped outside.
At school drop-off, Lexi and Ellie slipped right back into the rhythm with friends and familiar teachers. Tori is learning to make new friends, but it’s sweet to see older brothers and sisters looking out for her on campus. We’re back to the bustle of carpool life with neighbors who feel like family.
What’s Next for Us?
I’m diving back into the job search and excited to return to work life - focusing on companies in healthcare, energy, and infrastructure, and dusting off my non-existent resume. Warren is volunteering with Rise Prep, a local Christian high school, and Youth ministry (along with getting back to tennis). We’re still tweaking things in the house - it’s funny to think we’d only lived here ten months before heading abroad. And the hardest goal of all: finding good Taiwanese food in San Francisco. Our favorite spot, China Bee, closed a few years ago, we’ve been searching for a worthy replacement ever since.
What we’ve learned over the last year is that home isn’t a house, or location, or things—it’s wherever we are, together.
