Where We’re Headed Next: San Diego!!!

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I think it’s time for an official “what happens after Sicily?” update around here! My husband Elliott wrote a blog post this week about our next move, and there are a lot of juicy details in that about rejections and deliberations that lead to our final decision: after we leave Sicily in July, we’re headed to the beaches and bustle of San Diego, California!

Some of you might remember this post about the difficult decision we were making between D.C. and San Diego. Most of our family lives in D.C., and we lived there as newlyweds. After this summer, Elliott had been planning to get out of the military and find work in the D.C. area so we could spend more time with them for a year or two.

However, somewhat out of the blue in December, the Army offered him a dream job. Would he be interested in filling a new position that just opened up for a veterinarian with the Naval Special Warfare Command, home of the SEALs?

For more than 10 years, Elliott had dreamed of a job like this: a chance to work with the elite of the world’s military, to care for their working dogs, and maybe even to work with their dolphins and sea lions. His eyes lit up whenever he talked about it. We both couldn’t imagine how he could turn this down.

After lots of conversations with family and lots of time on our knees, we decided to take the job!

One of the things we’re most excited about is the location of Elliott’s new base: the beautiful peninsula of Coronado just off the coast of San Diego. I’ve only been to SD twice on quick visits, but both times included an obligatory trip to Coronado to admire its long white beaches, darling cottages, picturesque shops, and famous hotel.

Working in Coronado will be amazing, but living there would be a dream come true. Unfortunately, Coronado housing is proving to be a bit of a problem. (Anyone who knows Coronado has a wry smile on their face right now.) The rental market is extremely competitive, and so even though Elliott has been super proactive about looking for a home, so far we’re still on the hunt.

Another option we’re prayerfully considering is living in a completely different part of the city, closer to the church we’ll probably attend. There are a lot of unknowns, so it’s hard to make such lifestyle-determining decisions from thousands of miles away. If you’re the praying kind, we’d appreciate your prayers!

We’ll leave Sicily in July, visit family along the way, and arrive in California the first week of August. But as I type this, there are brownies in the oven, and still-sandy swimsuits drying outside, and Jonathan and Erika — our latest visitors — are sharing the couch with Elliott. There is absolutely no sign that we have less than three months left in this beautiful home in Italy.

I’m excited about what lies ahead, but for now . . . the kitchen timer is going off, and I’m ready for hot brownies with our guests. Let’s savor “making room in Sicily” for a little longer!

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28 Responses to Where We’re Headed Next: San Diego!!!

  1. ila May 1, 2014 at 9:34 pm #

    Becca: So exciting!! Do you know that Din and her husband live in SD??

    • Becca May 1, 2014 at 9:41 pm #

      No, I had no idea! I’d love to see her when we get there. She and Greta welcomed me so warmly to UVA all those years ago.

  2. Esther May 1, 2014 at 9:49 pm #

    Congrats to you all! I can imagine that having the next step solidified brings some peace to your planning. I hope Casey and I can come visit you at some point!

    • Becca May 1, 2014 at 11:01 pm #

      Yes, please, Esther… come visit!

  3. Alica May 1, 2014 at 9:50 pm #

    Congratulations to Elliott on the job! It sounds like an adventure for you all! I sure hope the housing situation soon makes itself clear!

    • Becca May 1, 2014 at 11:04 pm #

      Thanks, Alica. :)

  4. Melissa May 1, 2014 at 10:23 pm #

    I more or less grew up in San Diego (Navy brat) — awesome city!! So, so much to see and do! And can’t beat the weather. We attended and loved Grace Bible Church (up in Escondido) while there, and I understand that they have a daughter church further south now (http://www.gbc-sd.org/). Congrats! It’s exciting to see your hubby’s eyes light up about work.

    • Becca May 1, 2014 at 11:02 pm #

      Thanks for the church link, Melissa. My dad actually works up in Escondido part-time (two weeks in D.C., two weeks in CA each month) for White Horse Inn, so we’ll probably be up that way every now and then!

  5. Di May 1, 2014 at 10:33 pm #

    How exciting! San Diego sounds like an amazing place….and a fantastic job for Elliot too!

    • Becca May 1, 2014 at 11:04 pm #

      Thanks, Di! He’s probably let you know through his blog already, but he knows your friend through the Army Veterinary Corps. What a small world!

  6. April May 1, 2014 at 10:43 pm #

    Again, thank you for your blog and your pics on Instagram. It truly makes me feel less anxious about moving to Sicily. We are moving there in July, and we are stationed at Pt. Mugu in Cali. Just wanted to wish you all the best in your move back to the states and I can only hope I get to go to all the places you visited while stationed there. :)

    • Becca May 1, 2014 at 11:03 pm #

      I’m sorry we’ll miss you here in Sicily, April, but I wish you all the best with your transition. I’m planning to put together a blog post with all our favorite places and restaurants near Sigonella, so hopefully that will be a help to you as well!

  7. Helen May 1, 2014 at 11:14 pm #

    Sounds like a dream location! May God bless you!!!

    Will be following with interest.

  8. Courtney May 2, 2014 at 2:50 am #

    Congrats, Garbers!! What exciting news! It is such an strange tug-and-pull feeling to know that the place you call home now will soon not be home (we’ll be making the same transition in a year). We wish you the best in your move and your new life in sunny San Diego!

  9. Tiffany May 2, 2014 at 3:02 am #

    Very exciting–congratulations to you! Will be happy to pray!

  10. Kaylee May 2, 2014 at 5:31 am #

    This is so cool – it sounds like an incredible opportunity for your family! We are praying that the San Diego area is where we’ll end up in a few months as well :) Good luck with all the upcoming planning/transition that a move entails!

  11. Carrie May 3, 2014 at 9:58 pm #

    Congratulations – I hope you will keep blogging about your new adventures in San Diego too :)

    • Becca May 6, 2014 at 9:18 pm #

      I’m planning to, Carrie! Thanks for your encouragement.

  12. Alise May 5, 2014 at 5:07 am #

    Congratulations to you guys!! I’m really excited for you and your family, San Diego is so fun. I have lived in California all my life and SD is one of my favorite places. I’m excited for you all and looking forward to hearing about your journey back to the States. :)

    • Becca May 6, 2014 at 9:18 pm #

      Aww, this is so good to hear! We’re looking forward to it!

  13. Jen May 6, 2014 at 1:09 pm #

    I am just reading this now. Congratulations, we are jealous! We lived in Los Angeles for two years and it was so much fun.

    I know what you mean about those big decisions – we could have possibly gone back to Massachusetts (Air Force job still), but we have already both lived there, and we want to live in another city/state for awhile longer before my husband is done with the military.

    • Becca May 6, 2014 at 9:19 pm #

      Might as well enjoy the travelin’ lifestyle as long as we’re in the military, right?! :)

  14. Lauren May 7, 2014 at 7:53 pm #

    This is so exciting!!
    I know Emily from high school :) I grew up in San Diego (a freakishly-long 11 years in one place- practically unheard of for a military child, but Dad kept persuading the Navy to send him on deployments rather than move) :D
    I totally get the ‘wry smile’ about Coronado housing… My Dad actually purchased a house for us in Talmadge (which is a sweet neighbourhood close to city center, but not quite right there) and frequently biked to the Naval stations- living in the city itself was a wonderful experience :)
    Since I was born and raised in San Diego, I am a California girl at heart (who is learning to treasure Virginia) and think this is a great decision :) Bonus- no snow!!!! (After my student teaching county near UVA got 14 snow days in 10 weeks this winter, that possibility sounds wonderful :) )

    • Becca May 7, 2014 at 10:16 pm #

      What a small world! Thanks so much for all your encouragement and enthusiasm. We can’t wait to get there and experience some of what you’ve loved for so much of your childhood!

  15. Sarah May 9, 2014 at 6:44 pm #

    Oh wow, San Diego sounds amazing!! How exciting for your husband to have gotten his dream job. Wishing you the best of luck with your upcoming move.

    • Becca May 10, 2014 at 8:46 pm #

      Thank you so much, Sarah! It is crazy to think… his dream job. We’re grateful.

  16. Emily H. May 22, 2014 at 10:09 pm #

    Hi Becca! I found your blog through Design Mom today. You will love living in San Diego! I have lived here for 12 years but we’re leaving this summer to be closer to my family in Northern California. There are so many great neighborhoods here to choose from and so many activities to do. I love taking my little one to the zoo (we get a pass every year) and Sunday afternoon walks at Balboa Park. I could write a lot more about all the good things about San Diego. You’ll have a lot of fun exploring the city.

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    […] to be honest, I have really mixed emotions about moving back to the States for our new life in CA. Earlier this spring, Elliott interviewed for a job that would have sent us to Tbilisi, in the […]

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