Life in Chico is AMAZING
“Keep some room in your heart for the unimaginable.”
I had no idea, friends, that Chico, CA was my destiny.
I had no idea that Chico--this little cow and college town amidst miles of nut orchards and rice fields, in norrrrrrthern California--was where I would manifest so many dreams, find my people, find my footing, and be happy in every nook and cranny of my life.
And yet, here I am, entering my fourth month here feeling like I'm falling in love all over again.
Back Story
Four months ago I packed up my life in Alameda and moved up here to be with my beloved Mary. It was my fourth move in five years and I was intending it to be my last one. Moving to Chico had a couple main attractions, one being Mary, of course, and the other being the much more reasonable cost of living than the Bay Area.
Oh, and the dogwood trees! Whoa. Who knew? Dogwoods are GORGEOUS!
Little did I know that Chico was waiting for me to arrive, with open arms, and with a space just my size ready for me to fill.
Chico
Chico is a big small town. Despite the population hovering around 100,000 people, it feels like a very small town. It's the kind of town in which you bump into people you know wherever you go. It takes 5 minutes to drive anywhere you need to be, 10 max, rarely in traffic. And every other person you meet has lived here their whole lives or returned here after being away for a time or stayed after going to at Chico State University.
One of the things I love about Chico is the trees! Right now the dogwoods and oranges are in bloom, a few weeks ago it was the almond trees and then the peaches, cherries, and apricots. There's a beautiful park, Bidwell Park, full of untamed nature and a roaring creek (at least this year). There's great hiking and mountain biking all around and views of mountain tops covered with snow (Shasta, Mt. Lassen, and others) not far from anywhere you go.
All of that is great.
But what is truly incredible to me is that in this little town, where I never imagined I'd end up, I have found my people, and am busier and more fulfilled than I could have imagined.
My Life Takes a Surprising and Wonderful Turn
Since moving here I have found my Jewish community at a sweet and cozy synagogue (the only one in town, actually), Congregation Beth Israel. The rabbi, Rabbi Lisa Rappaport, is my kinda people, in fact so so many of the folks there are, but Rabbi Lisa and I...well we've already proclaimed each other "soul sisters." I am making music there and leading expressive arts programs. People are happy to see me and remember me and share their gratitude. I have been welcomed in in so many ways. My heart is happy and healing there.
Since moving here I've found my expressive arts community, Chico Body-Wise, a collective of embodied healing arts therapists and practitioners with a very sweet space in a lovely part of town. I arrived just as they were restructuring the collective and I am now in the core circle of dreamers and doers, envisioning, planning and making things happen for our community. It's incredibly exciting to find a community like that because for the entire time I've been an expressive arts facilitator I've longed for and searched for such a local circle...and never found one like this...with a space! I now am doing in person sessions there and will be offering other programs soon.
The art studio under construction in our Chico backyard.
Since moving here I've checked something off my bucket list. I performed a personal true story onstage, in front of a live audience (of about 200 people) TWICE! If you've ever listened to The Moth Story Hour, you'll know what I'm talking about. And if you click on the video above you can watch my performance (<15 minutes!). I've wanted to do this since becoming a Moth fan, and when I arrived in Chico I discovered that Chico has her own version, called Chico Bonfire Storytelling. It was a deeply satisfying experience. I absolutely loved it and hope to do more in the future.
Unfold Art Chico
Before you go, I want to tell you one more thing...Mary and I are building my next art studio...in our BACKYARD!!! (photo below) Well, ok, we have contractors. But it is a DREAM COME TRUE. A big, beautiful space dedicated to my work, my art, my passions. I am overjoyed and overwhelmed. It's coming along fast and I am hoping to start offering multi-day retreats in the fall! To see more photos, follow me on Instagram or friend me on Facebook (links below). I share pics there frequently.
All I can say is...my dreams are coming true here every day.
AND...I couldn't have IMAGINED this life!
More on this another day. But suffice it to say...Keep some room in your heart for the unimaginable.
