November 29th, 2009, posted in Happenings
After being in Houston for about five weeks, I have found that being a newbie to Houston and Texas can be a bit challenging. Since it has been awhile since I have moved to a new city, I realized it probably doesn’t matter what city or place you move to, there is always a steep learning curve.
After doing some research on the internet, I was surprised to find there are hardly any places to go for newbies. There are resources here and there for certain things but a quick start guide is mostly limited to the local government sites. They will send you a nice publication that comes with a series of emails from people marketing to new comers. It is definitely a nice resource, but there is just something real and personal about hearing directly from a locals mouth or someone experiencing things first hand.
So… I am starting citynewbie.com to be a resource for those new to Houston and Texas. I would like it to eventually expand out to other cities and have other writers share their experiences with moving to a new city. Depending on time, I will probably share resources for San Diego too.
-Love, fun and happiness
Susan
October 24th, 2009, posted in Happenings
After a week-long trek from San Diego, we are finally in Houston! Yee Haw! The journey definitely had its moments. Just leaving was a feat in itself. Once we got rolling, the trip was mostly smooth. We had some technical difficulties and some encounters with mother nature that were all handled with relative ease. All in all, the 7 day drive was relatively smooth.
Gila Cliff Dwellings, the Silver City RV Resort and Dripping Springs (hill country around Austin) topped our list of the most rewarding and fun days.
October 1st, 2009, posted in Happenings
Well..the date for the roll out to Texas is less than a week away. The container is quickly getting full and so many things still need to be done. I thought that I would have more hesitation or nerves than I have. We drove out to Ocean Beach to have lunch and stroll along the pier for the last time…before we roll out of CA. Being born and raised in CA the whole thing almost seems bittersweet.
The change is welcome. I know that I will be back to visit friends and family that I have grown up with over the years. I have been hearing that the people are really friendly where we are headed and that it should be easy to get acquainted with the area. There has definitely been no shortage of comments about the move. Many are still in disbelief.
On another note, we received our first order through one of our new website today. That was really exciting. It wasn’t like I never received an order from one of my sites before…the first order is always the most exciting and to know it came so quickly after putting it up the site. The web is so amazing. More plans are down the pipes for new products and services for small businesses. The drive time will give us time to reflect and get all the ideas flowing. Everything is definitely coming together.
September 14th, 2009, posted in Greetings
Time is ticking away as we make our final decent to Houston. There was delay in the container pick up, so today is the day!
I am excited about the move to Texas. The family wants to get down and enjoy some rain for once. I am not sure how I feel about the rain and thunder storms but it should be interesting. It has been about 10 years since I really experienced a good rain storm other than my shower.
Still so much to do for logistics. At least the physical moving part has been mostly a breeze so far. Craigslist has definitely been a blessing in getting rid of unneeded items and so has the local donation bin. Only about 2 more weeks until our container arrives. Sorting is going into high gear this week.
Have a wonderful week full of love and graditute!
Smiley Susan
September 11th, 2009, posted in Greetings
Today is the day when they take back the first container. We just filled our first container from Pack Rat. And may I say, this “pod” style moving is the best! Really, I didn’t know what to think when the container arrived a week ago…but once we started filling it I knew it was the right decision.
The best thing is not rushing to try and fill the truck. You can take your time and plan how you are going to cram in all your worldly possessions into this 16 foot box. I liked not having a ramp to roll up into the truck. Having to worry about navigating around a staircase is enough. I am glad we were going down because I don’t know how we would have done it.
Having the right tools also came in handy. Remember to buy some ratching straps….not just bungies, since they could possibly snap and stretch unlike the straps. Also…because we are moving two homes and will be unloading into two homes, we felt an investment of $120 in an appliance dolly was key. And did it earn its keep on the first day of moving. If you have to move large or heavy items…and maybe are still going to move a few more times in your life or have friends you help to move, make the investment. You would be surprised how many times you could use a dolly. Or, you can always rent one for about half the price… If you are doing this “pod” style moving though, remember you will have to rent one here and at your new destination.
Again, I am really happy with my choice to go “pod” moving. The customer service has been great and everyone has been very friendly. Our container arrived later than expected, but they did call to let us know about the delay due to a run on containers the previous day. So we received a newly built container and they were gracious enough to throw in some moving blankets per my request.
All we have to do some final cleaning around the place and we are good to go. Our next container comes in two weeks. I can’t believe we are within a month of moving. Time is flying by.
August 23rd, 2009, posted in Happenings
As the time to get our move on to Texas is approaching I am doing more and more research about the different areas of Houston. I just received a welcome guide that I signed up for online. It definitely gave me some ideas on what things I need to take care of once we move.
Fortunately, with all the tools available on the internet you can get a good idea of what neighborhoods are like. Google maps allows you to pretty much walk the streets. Reading people’s blogs help too…but you have to filter it all out since you really don’t know where people are coming from…as far as their opinions are concerned.
For the first time… I actually found a local Realtor board site that was helpful and allowed you to search easily, HAR.com. By far this has been my best resource for getting an idea of housing and rental prices. It was easy to sort and search…unlike many of the other local sites. Being a licensed agent and a member of my local board in San Diego, I wish more sites were like this… but I guess we rely on the national site, Realtor.com for that.
I can’t wait to get moving. Packing is still a chore. The garbage and recycling bins are at least filled weekly with things I don’t need to haul across country. Craigslist is coming in quite handy to post things I don’t want to pack but get a few bucks for. The only thing I don’t like is the scamming. That has already occurred and is not cool. You have to learn sometime I guess.
I have definitely gotten a process down on how I am going to get rid of most of our precious belongings. In the end, Freecycle and donations to my local favorite spots will probably end up getting the most of it. I feel good that I am being proactive about things and not waiting until the last minute.
This weekend our motor home, Lucy, got a good scrubbing. This will be our initial home when we get down to Houston. I am actually excited about this idea. It will give us time to figure out the lay of the land instead of just making a quick trip to find the first house. Plus, it is something that we are familiar with…and I found a great RV park right near the bay. It will be fun. – Susan
August 20th, 2009, posted in Greetings
The layout of this site showcases my recent works for the web. But what about print and other digital media?
Because I have a soft spot for print materials, even though I love web and digital media. I thought I would handle it a little differently and have a little fun.
Check out some of my print…the leftovers.
August 13th, 2009, posted in Happenings
It looks like Fall is upon us. If I didn’t see it on the calendar I would not believe it has been a month since I finished my last class at Platt College. Where did 2009 go? I don’t know about you, but this year is flying by faster than I expected. There is still a bunch to do and many changes in store.
August 6th, 2009, posted in Greetings
Thank you for stopping by and take your time to look around. I find that portfolio sites are always in a state of work in progress. They are ever changing with the latest designs and projects. It is nice to see the evolution and growth, as design can be influenced by any simple occurance in one’s life.
Feel free to drop me a comment. I love to hear from people and see what they have to say.
If you have a project that you need help with, I do pick up freelance projects big or small. Depending on your project, I do entertain volunteer work or possible bartering.
July 13th, 2009, posted in Resources
If you are like me, your computer is your life line. Typically you have things that you can’t live without stored somewhere on your computer. And as I progressed with graphics and web design, being able to retrieve my information was more and more valuable, not only to me, but to my clients.
What if something happened to your computer…would you know what to do to get that valuable information back?
Take it from me, I have learned the hard way..probably one too many times. Now I got smart and use Mozy. For less than $5 a month I have the security in knowing my data is safe…and that I could retrieve all my information easily just as if nothing ever happened. They even have an option to get 2 gigs for free.
