Late last year (actually 2017) my husband told me he was contacted by one of those big tech companies. In Silicon Valley. One of those. He told me likely nothing would come of it, but that he wanted to see how far he could get. He said even if he got it, he wouldn't take the job.
Famous last words.
I should have known better, I've heard this before and I finally understand that this is his way of not getting his hopes up too high. It is what he said about his last job (which he loved, and which also involved a ton of travel). It is what he said about his favorite high school teaching job where he taught math and science to the kids at a real live version of Fame! (if anyone remembers Fame!--otherwise just picture a performing arts school full of aspiring actors, dancers, and musicians).
To be clear, all of these professional decisions are ones we talked over together at length and decided on together. This last time we even discussed it with the kids.
After getting through the many screenings, phone interviews, etc, it was time to go in person. We went together, so we could both check out the area. He practiced whiteboard coding on the mirror in the hotel (you can use dry erase markers on mirrors!). On a Saturday, I walked around the local high school.
While I had been to California before, I'd never been there in the winter, and I'd never been to San Fransisco. The moment we stepped off the plane, the air itself was different; pleasantly humid, slightly cool with a faint floral scent, it was clear we were far from home. The spring-like weather contrasted strangely with the winter darkness.
As luck would have it, my sister and her boyfriend had moved to The San Fransisco Bay Area the previous summer. She diligently drove me around different Bay Area cities and neighborhoods, looking for a place to live. One of our more memorable stops was in Niles, with the name written into the mountainside above the small town. Mixed in with antique shops was a museum on the start of the film industry, featuring silent film stars like Charlie Chaplin.
While Charles was busy with a full day of interviews, she and I took an impromptu trip to Muir Woods. They switched to a reservation system in 2018, so these days you need to plan ahead a little more. Nearly every random stranger I met (including the guy sitting next to me on the plane) mentioned Muir Woods as good place to visit. It did not disappoint. The trees were awe inspiring giants.
I bought a keychain like a tourist. A small wood box with an inlaid lid that slide into place like I'd had as a child. But instead of being empty, the interior held a compass.
At the hotel I surprised Californians by swimming in the outdoor pool in the winter. In my defense, it was heated.
My sister and her boyfriend let us tag along to a holiday cocktail party with them. We met many interesting, friendly people. Everyone lamented the state of real estate in the Bay Area. Uncertain of the outcome of the trip, we were both a little shy about mentioning the possible job opportunity and didn't let on that we too may soon have to contend with that same real estate market.
We finished up the trip with a drive to Half Moon Bay. Arcing highways made my midwestern heart a little nervous, but the views were gorgeous. An unexpected lake (which I later learned was a reservoir) and mountains made for an interesting drive, even before we reached the ocean. We found a seaside restaurant and ate lobster watching the sun go down on the Pacific.
Leaving California, we both figured there was a 50/50 chance he would get an offer. I don't know what the real odds were. It is one of those things you can hypothesize about all you want, but in the end, you get the job or you don't. And he got it. There was a little more back and forth about the details. Because of the holidays, we got Christmas break to mull things over. But on New Years, we made the call and committed to an adventure.
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