this post in partnership with St. Martin’s Press, and all words and opinions are my own. thank you for supporting the brands that help keep sfgirlbybay going with fresh content every day.
recently i was invited to consider my life-altering moments and share them with you here, and thought, ‘that’s not a typical ask for me’, but i thought it was an interesting subject to broach, given my recent big move from san francisco to los angeles. Blueprints is a new novel by New York Times bestselling author of Sweet Salt Air, barbara delinsky. in her new book, Blueprints she explores what happens when the path you’re on veers drastically from the plans you’ve made — the ones you thought would never change.
there’s a lot of things in life you can’t predict, but some of them you can pretty much count on. for instance, i really never thought i’d leave san francisco. i thought i’d live there as an old, eccentric lady and die there one day, gray haired and happy. but things changed — in my life, and in the atmosphere around the city that caused me to take a moment and pause — to really consider if i wanted to remain in a city i’d already lived in for 20 years, or if it was time for a change. other factors weighed in, too — i wanted to be closer to my mother, who’s been feeling unwell of late. i wanted to be closer to some of the people in my life that encourage and inspire me — good friends and family that offer a strong support system. and while i certainly have much cherished friends in san francisco, if i was honest with myself i’d say it was really the lure of an adventure i craved, and i knew that the lifelong friends i’d made in san francisco would understand and continue to share my life — in fact, happily a few have already come to visit in the short month i’ve lived here in los angeles. and maybe most importantly, i wanted to own something of my very own — a house i could truly call my home, so to be able to buy something i had to leave san francisco, too.
so i’ve revised my life’s blueprint, when i least expected to do so. i left san francisco, just as i launched my book about the city, and i think i surprised a lot of people in the process, including myself! and because i write the blog under the name sfgirlbybay, that’s a little confusing too — but had i predicted when i started the blog in 2006 that it would one day become my career, i would have no doubt considered a much more appropriate name — something that had to do with design at the very least — not some old email address i’d used over the years and chose on a whim one night. but as i’ve said, one cannot live by one’s URL alone and it’s too late to change it. anyway, i digress — quite unexpectedly i’ve uprooted myself and landed in a brand new place — in a home i’m happily adding my personality to, and creating a sanctuary all my very own.
in her book Blueprints, BARBARA DELINSKY explores the instinct for knowing how things work — and what to do when they break. An engaging novel from a master storyteller, Blueprints reminds us that sometimes love appears when we least expect it, and when we need it most. so maybe that’s my story too. i’d not been lucky in love in san francisco, and while i haven’t exactly come seeking it here in L.A., i do feel more open to finding it. even if that love just comes from friends and family, i feel more open to a lot of things. it was the same when i left los angeles, also on a whim 20 years ago and headed north to san francisco. i was wide-eyed and open for possibility. so maybe by being open to changing one’s blueprint, you open yourself up for a whole new world of experiences. and that’s what i’m hoping to do here now, and happy to have you along for the ride. happy independence day, everyone. see you back here on monday. xo — victoria
to enter to win a copy of barbara delinsky’s Blueprints novel, simply:
• comment here on the blog sharing your own life altering moment by friday, july 10th at midnight pst.
• yay! this giveaway is worldwide so anyone can enter to win!
• as always, please be sure to leave a way to contact you via twitter, facebook, your blog or email.
• we’ll announce the randomly selected winner the week of july 13th on my twitter, so be sure to follow along.
Set in suburban Boston in a world of reality tv and home design, Blueprints is the story of two strong women, Caroline and Jamie MacAfee, mother and daughter, best friends. The day after her 56th birthday, Caroline is told that she is too old to be the public face of their family-based home construction show, and that her 29-year-old daughter, Jamie, will replace her as its host. Daughter ousting mother from a job she loves? The resulting rift occurs at a time when each needs the other more than ever. You can learn more about the book here, and more about Barbara on her at website and follow Barbara on Twitter and Facebook.
