Hi hello!

It’s June.

The month we move back to California.

It’s here already.

We’ve spent five years in Chicago. We always knew our time here was temporary. But now that it’s actually happening, I’m a little bit in disbelief. How are we here already?

Somewhere along the way, this city stopped being a place we lived and became home. I let myself fall in love with the people, the routines, the neighborhoods, the parks, the coffee shops, the school. All of it.

Which, in hindsight, feels like a terrible strategy.

Because now I have to leave it.

And all you emotionally regulated, level-headed humans are probably thinking, “What’s wrong with you? This is a good thing!”

And it is. It really is.

As Winnie the Pooh said, “How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.”

But still.

It’s hard, okay?

Lately, everything feels like a last. The last time we’ll meet up with certain friends. The last walk to a favorite spot. The last Chicago summer adventure before we pack up this chapter of our lives.

Even this. This is probably the last recap post I’ll write from Chicago. The next one will be a June recap that I’ll likely be writing from San Ramon.

Which feels completely surreal to type.

Okay, anyway, let’s get to the recap part before I start crying into my keyboard. Yeah?

This MONTH:

• We celebrated our 10-year anniversary.
  
  
• Riyu went from doing an “Independence” class (where the grown-ups sit in the back of the class) to a “Gentle Separation” class (where the grown-ups drop the kids off for the hour and leave the room). He has been loving it. Every time he walks out, he’s absolutely bursting with pride. This kid is totally ready for school.
  
  
• We’ve been spending a lot of time at Bennett and Seneca. I initially thought I’d spend our last few weeks in Chicago working through some sort of bucket list of all the places I still wanted to go and all the foods I still wanted to eat. But now that we’re actually here, I find myself wanting the opposite. More park time with the kids at our neighborhood playground. More afternoons at Navy Pier. More time doing the same old shit over and over again. Because this has been our everyday life. And I want to live it as many times as possible before we leave.
  
  
• Ishu finished the Last Firehawk series. He was not pleased with how it ended. But now we’re moving on to Erie Elementary books!
  
  
• We took a whirlwind 48-hour trip to New York last weekend to meet the newest member of the fam, our sweet Avaani. A whoppin’ 7-months old now, she’s the absolute cutest and has her mama and papa (and Dadi and Dadu) wrapped around her tiny little pinky finger.
  
  
• Riyu has been really into his snow boots lately. Never mind that it’s been warm outside. So if you’ve spotted an almost-3-year old scootin’ through the streets of Chicago in a short-sleeve summer outfit paired with snow boots, there’s a good chance you’ve seen our little monkey.
  
  
• We celebrated Ankur’s birthday! Ishu made him a custom T-shirt at Uniqlo and we spent the day exactly how he’d want. Donuts in the morning, park/playground time with the kids, dinner at Niu, and a Cold Stone ice cream cake in the evening. It was perfect.
  
  
• And finally, Ishu officially graduated from his Children’s House class. His last day was Friday. Now we get the rest of the month to squeeze in all the Chicago fun we can before this chapter comes to an end!
  

WHAT I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO IN JUNE/JULY:

• Finding a place for us to live!
• Being near family again!
• A weekend trip with Gina to Paso Robles. (And I can do this now because GRANDPARENTS!).
• Getting settled and scoping out all our new stomping grounds.

PHOTO GALLERY OF OUR MONTH:

Alright, I’m outta here!

Be back soon. (Like maybe from California?!).

Okay bye!