California, or Bust!
After their honeymoon in San Diego in October, Ali and Brian decided to give the Golden State a try.
Brian grew up on Ocracoke and has never lived anywhere else. Ali is originally from Delaware, Ohio, and moved to Ocracoke in 2010 because of a cute boy.
In the summer of 2008, Ali and her sister Mallory, spent a summer on Hatteras Island, working at the Orange Blossom bakery and the Channel Bass Restaurant. The sisters made a day trip to Ocracoke and Ali's fate was sealed when she met Brian at the Pelican. Two years of visits and long distance phone calls later, she left her job in Indianapolis (as a high school music teacher) to join Brian permanently on Ocracoke.
Ali spent the last three years managing Ocracoke School's after school program, working in the classroom as Oliver Ibarra's companion, directing the children's choir at the Methodist Church, and teaching piano lessons to island kids. She also worked at Jason's Restaurant in her spare time.
Brian graduated from Ocracoke School in 2003, and has worked, most recently, at Jason's, the Fish House, and the Jolly Roger. He has a temporary job lined up in California installing water pipes and doing water maintenance at Sea World.
Ali is hoping to teach music again, and has applied for twelve different positions in the San Diego County schools. They'll be staying in a weekly rental place in Ocean Beach until they know where their permanent jobs will be.
Ali and Brian will also get to visit with Ocracoke ex-patriots Gene and Lacey Perry, and their baby Axel, who live nearby in Poway, CA.
On their way west, Ali and Brian will stop in Durango, Colorado to visit Ali's sister, Mallory. They also both want to see the Grand Canyon.
Ocracoke friends and family will miss their smiling faces, but all wish them the best of luck in their adventures. Ali and Brian say they plan to move back to Ocracoke someday, but for now, it's Bon Voyage!
