A Very Valiente Blog Analysis

So right now I currently write have three blogs. One is and will remain private because the contents of it seem to make people want to tattle on me to my husband. One I started when I was freshly-single that’s basically about how fantastic my life it (and yes, it is FANTASTIC). The third is a blog I started when the Yankee and I got married. I was pretty good about updating it at the beginning of the year; it’s been a slow summer with very little to report.

I love to read blogs of all kinds. I love NieNie, MckMama, my girlfriends’ blogs, and Penelope Trunk, amongst others. Penelope Trunk is an edgy woman with highly-functioning Asperger’s who writes about getting your head out of your back pocket and keeping your career on track (and some juicy details about her own life). One of her tips for would-be bloggers is this (taken from her actual blog):

Pick something that seems good, and if it isn't, try again. Don't get hung up on topic. As in dating, you'll know when you've found one that's the right fit. There are some obvious things, like pick a topic you have a lot to say about, pick something that interests you, pick something that will help your career. This is great advice, but you already know that if you look for a perfect match you'll never actually go on a date.

So I thought about what I really want to write about. I think about blogging all the time, but either I think it will be lame once I write it down or I worry that it will get all long and rambly (as my speech patterns do).

So here is the list of stuff I thought I could write about and the reasons I chose not to:

1. Gluten Free living- it’s been done, there are THOUSANDS and I consult most of them for my own cooking, so that would be a rip off for sure!

2. My career field- I am by no means an expert in human resources and still need a mentor, so this was off the list pretty fast. Besides, it could easily turn into me ranting about my work environment, which is a surefire was to get Dooced and tank my career in a hot second

3. How much I love my husband- I have a feeling I am the only person interested in this topic

So I started this particular blog so I could write about my family, mostly because those are the blogs I enjoy reading the most. I don’t write blogs because I want to one day monetize them and end up the next Heather B. Armstrong. I write because things are on my mind and I like to share things that are on my mind. So I’ll continue only one blog- this one- and leave the other two alone (and private) and continue to share the comings-and-goings of the Caliente Valientes- because we are pretty damn Caliente AND pretty damn Valiente. I hope you enjoy reading about us J

A Very Valiente Relocation

La Familia de Valiente is moving to New York City! The Yankee and I are moving in September so that he can pursue his dream of being a hot shot attorney (which, by way, he will be fantastic at).

It’s been the Yankee’s dream to move to New York for many years. In fact, the night we met, he told me he was moving to NY about four minutes after we met (and about 3 minutes and 49 seconds after he forgot my name). It’s something everyone who knows him, knows about him. So this spring, we put the plan in motion and started job searching.

In July I started interviewing with a company for a really fantastic job that I was simply not qualified for. That was the only really big “hit” we’d gotten and we accepted that our not living in NY was hurting our job opportunities. My employer graciously offered me an opportunity to continue my work remotely; at that time, we decided it was time for Phase II: find a home! So we booked our tickets and a hotel and set off to find an apartment (which we did).

So now the cat is out of the bag at work for both of us. The Yankee has put in his notice and I have been working with my manager (who, by the way, is fabulous) to transition me out of my current role and into my new one. Our apartment is a cardboard city and we’re trying to pare down our pantry items.

So we depart the Lone Star State for the Big Apple in about 2 ½ weeks. Our apartment is fantastic- a huge kitchen and hardwood floors! I had been seeing apartments with teeny-tiny kitchens that were simply scary to me. Will my various food sensitivities, the thought of not cooking my own food is like contemplating a career as an extreme skateboarder or fighting a zombie war.

So moving to New York is kind of like moving to another country. Here are some major differences:

1. Public transportation: riding the bus in San Antonio takes three hours to get anywhere. In NY, it’s just what you do. Owning a car is not only unnecessary, but also a tremendous pain.

2. Air Conditioning: not once in my life have I not had air conditioning. In NY, we have to buy window units. This hurts my heart.

3. Language: walking down the streets of NY humanizes the phrase “melting pot.” You hear snippets of Spanish, Russian, Yiddish, and English with various accents.

4. Money: first, Texas does not have a state income tax; NY does. Things are exponentially more expensive in NY, but the cost of living is allocated very differently. Weather: watch the news, you know what I mean.

I have moved every 2-4 years of my life, so relocating is not one bit scary to me. It is scary to predict how removed I will feel from my good friends. Life will continue without me, and that’s hard to watch through Facebook and blogs.

I am really excited about embarking on this adventure with my very best friend, the Yankee. Worst case scenario: we are mugged and killed. Next-to-worst-case-scenario: we lose all our money and move back to San Antonio. Best case scenario (and the one I am betting on): we live happily ever after.