Well it sure has been a while! A few years back I had promised to share more of my life with you and then it ended up that I was too busy living life to share it! But I guess… I shouldn’t really be apologizing for that should I!? In all honesty, life has been crazy busy these last few years but I suppose that is to be expected with all the major life changes we have had going on. As much as I want, crave, and truly need balance in my life- it sure is hard to come by! Anyone else feel me on this? So many things have been going on in the world lately that have just reminded me that Life.Is.Short and I have just been trying to make more of an effort to be present and not be on my phone or computer as much.

Which brings me to my New Years resolution for 2019 which was to slow down, and be more present in life. I feel like, while I did not necessarily slow way down, I made more of a conscious effort to focus more on work. Because in the long run, as much as I love my creative hobbies and outlets, working hard at growing our dental office is ultimately what is going to help our family most in the long run. I have also taken time to read more, have been trying meditation (Arshia bought me *affiliate link* the Muse device which is so helpful), and have been trying to fill our weekends with fun family time activities. Being truly present throughout the days though is truly something that I am finding you have to make a conscious effort to do. It is something that I am continually trying to work on in hopes that I continue to get better and better at it.

Speaking of our office, we really have come such a long way in a year. I am now working two full days a week which is great- 3 is the goal so I’m not too far off! We have also been getting such great feedback from patients and it is so humbling to hear that your hard work is appreciated. We also have just about completed the renovations for our office and it looks soooo good! Here are a few before and after photos of our dental office… it seriously doesn’t even look like the same office does it!?

BEFORE

AFTER

People often ask me how I like living in California, and if I am glad that we moved. While it has been a very hard journey, and we have had to make many sacrifices - most notably financially, I am still glad that we have done this. Just for fun, I sat down the other day and wrote down the reasons why this move has been a good thing, and what I am grateful for along this journey. So if you are interested in the good that comes from starting your life over at 35, read on my friends!

7 Of My Biggest Blessings Since Moving To California

The Sunshine And Weather - Let’s just go ahead and start by stating the obvious, the weather just can not be beat! There is something about living in place where you see the sun about 360 days out of the year that makes you just smile! In the winter I do miss the peace and stillness of the snow, but I certainly do not miss the cold and clouds!

Disneyland - Call me crazy, but I have always had this high up on my list as reasons why I love where I now live. Enjoying carefree days at Disneyland with my family is totally my jam and not to sound dramatic or anything, but I seriously can not imagine life now without this little escape. This is one of the only times where I can truly relax, put down my phone, and just be!

Professional Development - Now, I say this with the full transparency of the fact that I was never too keen on owning my own dental office. While the thought was always nice, the amount of work that goes into owning a dental office vs. working for someone else’s office is just astronomical. If we would have stayed in Kansas City, I can almost guarantee that I never would have started a dental office of my own like I am doing now. Granted, I have a TON of help and support in the fact that my husband and mother in law own and run the practice with me - but the amount of added stress, pressure, and work is still there! But lately I have come to try and see the positives of this… doing this has pushed me well outside my comfort zone and allowed me to grow professionally in ways that I did not even know. Plus, the amount of pride I have in watching this office grow from scratch just can’t be beat!

Abundance Of Outdoor Activities - This goes a little bit along with the weather, but I absolutely love the fact that there are so many outdoor activities that my family and I can enjoy more or less year round! We are outdoors often now and things like outdoor movies, concerts, hikes, lake days, and park play dates are a regular occurrence. The ability to be more active overall is such a blessing!

The Beach And Ocean - My family and I can never get enough of the beach! We are about 20-30 minutes from many beautiful beaches and we try to head there at least a few times a month. I absolutely love the feel of my toes in the sand and the sound of the waves crashing. The girls love playing catch, paddle ball, volleyball, or building sand castles while we are at the beach and we always leave exhausted and content. Another thing that I especially love is visiting tide pool beaches and discovering new underwater finds with the girls, it is always such a fun experience!

Being Surrounded By Diversity - Our country is certainly a diverse place, no matter where you live, but here in southern California I feel my girls get to grow up around a lot more of it. I love the fact that they can be around many other Persians and attend Farsi classes and bond with the Persian community overall. And not just this, in their daily lives and routines they are surrounded by people of a wide range of cultures and ethnicities and I really think this is great for them.

Developing New Friendships - Last, but certainly not least, we have made some lifelong friends here already! I am not kidding you when I say we have met some really great people and the thought that I never would have met these individuals if we had stayed in Kansas City makes me sad! At no point did I ever think that Arshia and I would make true friends here so quickly but I am so glad we have because it has really been a bright light in our journey thus far. What’s more is that we still try to stay in touch as much as possible with our Kansas City friends so it is like the amount of friendship and love in our lives has doubled since moving and that is an amazing thing!

I hope all is well with all my readers. Please stay safe as this flu and coronavirus season carries on. Wash your hands, take your vitamins, and drink plenty of water! Stay healthy my friends!