To the last decade
A so-long-for-now post to the Bay Area
In two weeks, I’ll finish packing up my apartment in Oakland and take a 5-day drive down California and over to Austin, TX…my new home. It’s a statement that hasn’t really hit home quite yet. It probably won’t until after I turn my keys in and hit the road. And really, it’s understandable how distracted I am after reflecting on this past decade living in the Bay Area and all of the many experiences which were had.
🏘 Housing
We lived in a total of four different apartments.
- Outer sunset, San Francisco — A wonderful corner unit that had great views of the Pacific. It was always warm and filled with a lot of light. My first real experience of a city.
- Parkside, San Francisco — An entire house just off of busy Route 1. Convenient but loud. I’ll fondly remember the two homemade darkroom set ups, Asian markets, and hilly walks.
- Southwest Berkeley, Berkeley — A quaint house on a quiet street full of good neighbors, bicycling, and Berkeley Bowl. I think of the many neighborhood cats and our thriving vegetable garden despite the squirrels.
- Northgate, Oakland — A high-rise apartment with Southwest light. Always warm, close to the action, our most “city” experience.
🌁 San Francisco
While living in San Francisco, Thom and I were fairly active in exploring as much of it whenever possible. We often sought out the many urban hikes, hidden staircases, public slides and swings that the city offered. The nice thing about San Francisco parks is that you can feel very much in nature while being surrounded by an urban city.
And since the city is 7x7 miles, it offers for some of the most diverse running courses for races. I’ll miss Bay to Breakers and the SF Half Marathon if only for the ever changing course and course “distractions”.
As many say about San Francisco, the neighborhoods are quite distinct which where proof is found in the available cuisine. I’ll miss the homemade dumplings in Sunset, Korean BBQ in the Richmond, donuts in the Mission, elevated dining experiences in NOPA, downtown burgers, and more. I even made a walking tour which hits some of my favorite neighborhoods and places to stop and eat.
🌇 East Bay
Looking back, I wish we had lived a bit longer in East Bay. (Spent seven years in the city and only three in East Bay) In general, the weather is just much, much nicer. The areas in which we did live also exposed us to so much more diverse groups of people and places. I really loved living in Southwest Berkeley. We were situated by just a one-block radius from Oakland and Emeryville where you could really see and feel the different kinds of communities living together. I’ll miss the funkier vibes, hidden pizza shops (in Kensington), spring super blooms, hikes through the redwoods, and walks around Lake Merritt.
💼 Career
- I worked seven different jobs, working in South Bay, East Bay, San Francisco respectively between two different careers
- Showed my art in four galleries, one museum, had one solo show (not including international shows)
- I got involved with Black Girls Code and Techtonica — two amazing non-profit organizations working to bring marginalized folk into tech.
- I learned survival skillsets from Trail Mavens, made tintypes with Rayko, and captured great artist talks at Kala Art Institute.
Worst commute: 2.5 hour commute to Sunnyvale which included a MUNI bus, BART train, Caltrain and walk to get to work. EACH WAY.
Best commute: 20 minute AC Transit ride across the Bay Bridge into SF.
Rituals
I’ll certainly miss our friends and our annual rituals. We were fortunate to celebrate a lot of fun times through never ending Ghost Cat and Oscar short viewings. Thom and I hosted Friendsgiving, Oscar Parties, Christmas cookie decorating, and more. I attended some book club meetings (sorry Claire!), had so many wonderful conversations through hosted dinners, and enjoyed a few fun game nights here and there. We felt connected and a part of something with the turn of each season. Looking forward, I only hope that we can find opportunities to host old friends at our new digs in Austin and continue some of these rituals.
Last thoughts
It’s hard to end a post like this since I know that I skipped over ten years in such a short time. I’m sure that I’ve left a lot out that is worth noting. I didn’t even touch upon the personal and professional growth that occurred. Or how living in an area with higher Asian demographics helped me accept a lot of who I am.
What I can say with certainty is that I’m excited and ready to try a new city and place. I hope to create new rituals with new friends, find new places to eat, explore, fall in love it, and grow within.
Thank you Bay Area for ten years of amazing experiences and growth. Here’s to a lifetime more! 🥂
