Just when everything was going perfectly in our moving plans, finding the apartment, getting a good rental on a truck and such, I’ve hit a roadblock. Well, a speed bump really. We’re still moving to San Francisco, it will just happen a little slower for me than I’d thought.
What happened is this: this whole time I’d been thinking that transferring to another Sephora store in SF would be easy. In the 9 months that I’d been with the company, I’d seen a few girls transfer in, and with the good recommendation of my managers, it appeared to be an easy thing to do. But the week after signing the lease on the apartment, my boss came to me with bad news. There were no openings at any of the 3 Sephoras in San Francisco for beginning January.
As she was telling me this, I tried not to immediately jump into panic mode. I’ve always been fairly cautious and logical, especially when it comes to money, so the idea of moving to a new city without a job is quite frightening to me. But I’d already signed a lease, made a deposit, put a reservation on a moving truck, and turned in our 30 days notice, so we were all set to move for the first. I’d already planned on having to find a second job in SF once we moved, I guess now I’d have to find 2 jobs. In the awesome current economical situation however, I’ve seen from various friends and accquaintances how long it can take to find a job these days. What if I was unemployed for weeks on end, frantically trying to find a crappy job in a new, strange, expensive city? That thought was pretty grim.
On the other hand, my boss did mention that this was typical for this time of year. Usually by later January or February, when the stores are back to their normal routines and seasonal hires have moved on, there are openings and hirings. I love being with Sephora. It’s really a great company to work for, so I want to stay with them. As we were talking, it hit me: I could just stay in LA a bit longer, working until an opening appears within Sephora. We’d still move our stuff up for New Year’s, as Zac’s school starts January 23 and we have the lease signed anyway. I know enough kind souls that I could float around from the couches of friends and family.
Originally, I wasn’t so fond of this idea. I really want to get to San Francisco already! And I’m more than a little jealous of Zac being able to break in our awesome new apartment without me. But the more I’ve thought about it, I’m getting into the idea of being a nomad again. I did it before, between when Zac and I came back from our Israel trip and when we moved in together, and I found the whole experience to be freeing and fun. I like having only the possessions that fit in my car, staying at a new place every few days, and getting the chance to hang out with friends. I’ve also felt like I’ve been running out of time in LA, so this will prolong the magic just long enough to get my fill of my loved ones and complete any unfinished business, like my portfolio that I keep putting on the back burner. And it’s not like my staying in LA a little longer means I’m not moving to San Francisco, it just will be a little bit longer before I do.
The rest of this week will be a whirlwind. Our apartment is already in full moving mode, with our posters down, boxes everywhere, and Zac taking apart our shelves with my Dad’s trusty old Makita drill. Saturday, December 31st, we are packing up a moving truck and taking a very long slow drive with all our possessions up north to spend New Year’s Eve at a friend’s place near the city. New Year’s Day we will drive into the city and move into our brand new apartment! The following day I have an appointment with a Sephora where I will hopefully be transferring. Then January 3 I’m back again, flying back down or driving my car if we need the space in addition to the moving truck.
So big changes are still happening! But if you are a friend of mine in Los Angeles who had been lamenting my sudden departure, never fear, it’s going to be a bit later than originally planned. The next few weeks I’ll try to post more frequently, documenting the nomad project, looking forward to the future in San Francisco, and continuing to reflect on past adventures.
Good Night and Happy Travels!
Mo
A Stranger In Paradise 
Hey Mo,
As an LA friend I am excited that you’ll be here a bit longer. But never fear, I know you’ll get that transfer! Mayhap this is a good time to do recon on your second job…like troll craigslist for anyone hiring within striking distance of your new digs or sephora stores to which you’re likely to be transferred. It’s all very exciting – good for you!