If you haven’t noticed through our social media, we moved to New Orleans! We are now home owners! It’s been a wild five months; we’ve experienced a hurricane, fostered a pregnant dog, painted a whole house, just to name a few.
Why leave Los Angeles? Well, we’d been ready to leave Los Angeles for quite some time. Although we had family there, we didn’t really fit into the lifestyle anymore. Los Angeles is incredibly expensive and it doesn’t fit well into the simple monthly budget template we set up. In all actuality, it doesn’t make much sense to live there unless you’re part of the entertainment industry. It’s a real grind and traffic is a pill. We wanted to slow down a bit, collect some more savings before we made the big trip across the pond to New Zealand.
So, why New Orleans? Well, Fit has had an affinity for New Orleans for about ten years. She attended two volunteer trips down here to help after Hurricane Katrina and the city sank its alligator claws into her and never let go. A few years ago, Fit brought Hungry to New Orleans on a vacation and he fell in love too.
This city has a vibrancy and spirit that you can’t find anywhere else. It has a people that have endured much but still have so much to give and hope for. This city celebrates life in a unique way: through music, through food, through old tales and history. It has a certain funk that permeates the air that smells a little swampy but makes you fall in love even more. You’ll find witches, voodoo priestesses, and pastors who wear Saints jerseys. You’ll find three-hundred year old buildings and swamps full of critters. It’s all part of the magic.
We chose a home that was affordable for us but that also meant a lot of work. We’ve done a good deal, but there’s still much, much to do! It’s a large home right across the river from the French Quarter. While it’s only about ten minutes there to the Quarter, we get to live in a quiet neighborhood where we can take the dogs for walks and listen to birds and frogs. We have a nice big yard which came with a surprising amount of work. But we’re trying to take advantage of the space–we’ve planted fruit trees, veggies, and have a nice herb garden. We also have a shed in the back yard that we’ve converted into a pretty decent gym.
“Muted” Mardi Gras colors
Fit is still at her remote job, but now she has a her own home office! After initial house-work, she now has time to work on her writing and has sent one book out for querying and is starting on another. Hungry got pulled into a high-profile and time-consuming role working with animals, but is no longer there. He is currently training people and developing the foundation of his nonprofit.
We’ve hosted a few visitors so far, but we’d love some more. There is a lot of room to stay in this big ol’ house and we’d love to show anyone willing why this place is so special. The best time to visit (and beat the heat) is any time between November through February. We’re excited for our new life down in the Big Easy. And as always, stay hungry and fit!
