I didn’t expect to love Sunnyvale.

But at some point between February and today, the place has grown on us.

The ethnic diversity. The convenience of living close to everything we might possibly need, from great Chinese food, coffee houses and pho to Home Depot, Target, a huge public library and a world-class hospital.

We didn’t expect that this sprawling boat of a house that is long on space but short on style would grow on us. But it has.

As has our delusional neighbor, “Rusty.” It’s doubtful that any of our new neighbors will tell us they’ve gone to the moon with a monkey or talked Patty Hearst into giving herself up.

Or if they do, they’ll be telling the truth. (One of our new neighbors is a retired rocket scientist, actually.)

Ten months is not a long time, but it was long enough to gain an appreciation for this place. In the end, it was a good place for us to start our California life.

We’ll be living in our new place about 10 miles away in San Jose tonight, and only returning to finish clearing the rental house out over the next few weeks.

Sunnyvale, even as we turn our faces toward making a new home, we’ll miss you.

You’ll always have a place in our hearts as our first together-home in California.