We were faced with another scorching summer in a L.A. suburb. James was working full time as an engineer and doing iPhone app development at night and I was a laid-off mom to an 8-month-old daughter.  I started reading 4-hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss, with its catchy subtitle of Escape the 9-5, Live Anywhere and Join the New Rich. We were both very excited by the idea of lifestyle design. A few months later, we put our house on the market, James quit his job, and we moved down to Carlsbad to start our beach life.

We had been talking about San Diego ever since we moved to L.A. after college. Although we had made friends, bought a townhouse and had a baby there, we always felt like we were waiting to start our lives. After reading 4HWW, we knew that our someday was here.

Ultimately, we made our decision based on what mattered to us: time spent with family/friends, a beautiful environment to live in, and following our own dreams. As Steve Jobs said in that much quoted commencement address, “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.”

James now does iPhone app development, website design and technical consulting from home. When not busy with our toddler, I do freelance writing and editing.  We both love our new beach lifestyle that allows us to relax more and spend time as a family.

While I spend most of the day with Baby J, her dad is always in the next room. Our favorite part about this lifestyle design experiment is the freedom! We can take a vacation without having to get approval. James can surf when the surf is good, not just on the weekends. We are renting, so we can pick up and move somewhere else. We’ve thought about spending a good chunk of time in Costa Rica or extended travel on an Around the World ticket.

Here’s hoping the stars stay aligned and we can continue to follow our path to wherever it leads. One thing we have learned in the past few months: Everything is a choice, and there is always a chance to make a different one. For now, we feel so lucky to live our beach life with our baby.