Dear Palm Springs,

Wow, what a ride it’s been! Like any relationship we have had our ups and our fair share of downs but the good has always outweighed the bad. You have brought joy, tears, friendships, opportunity, and plenty of heat! When I moved here back in 2014 I was a young woman who was starting over in so many ways…new career, new town, and a new relationship. You brought me an amazing job (shout out to my Michael Kors days) and a cute little apartment of my own…you also provided the backdrop for Chris and I to build our relationship.

Palm Springs, you are the place where Chris & I adopted our first dog together, Sweet Sarge, you are where we built our first home together (in a tiny 600 square foot apartment no less), and where Chris asked me to marry him. Somewhere in the last 6 years we moved to a bigger house, said goodbye to Sweet Sarge, brought Hogan home, entertained friends, hosted Sunday Suppers, and quarantined here. We’ve made friends, we’ve lost friends, we’ve started new jobs, and even started a business with your majestic mountains and plentiful palms as the backdrop.

Not everyday here was paradise, as I am sure you know. Chris and I both experienced a fair amount of loss while living under your sunny skies. We made friends only to find out those friends were not really interested in being authentic. We took jobs that made us want to pull our hair out and even one that made me questions everything about myself including whether I was thin enough, pretty enough or even “good enough”. We found a way to weather triple digit heat for endless months and to not feel too disappointed when the coveted invites failed to come our way.

Despite those few bumps in the road you have been above everything HOME. You have been a place where there were more smiles than frowns, more laughter than tears, and more happy memories than sad. Now that our run in your desert oasis is coming to an end it only felt appropriate to say THANK YOU. Thank you for giving me (us) a fresh start and a home for these last 6 years. Thank you for opening more doors than I can count. Now I look forward to returning as a fortunate visitor, sipping rosé by your sparkling pools.

Can’t wait to visit your soon,

XO Niki