On Settling In Back to Journal →

Wednesday, May 20, 2026

There’s a point in any move where the boxes stop being the story and the neighborhood starts being the story instead. We’re there now. I can get to the grocery store without my phone, I have a bakery I default to, and I’ve stopped mentally translating prices back to dollars every time I buy something.

Getting here was the easy part, somehow - one ruthless pass to see what actually fit in four suitcases, a cart that was heavier than it looked, and a surprisingly uneventful flight. The hard part was everything after baggage claim.

None of that is glamorous. It’s paperwork and routines and figuring out which tram actually gets you where you’re going. But it’s also the part that makes a place start to feel like yours instead of somewhere you’re visiting.

I still stop and look at this house most times we walk past it, though. Some things don’t need to become routine to be enjoyed.