Month 1 in the Bay Area

Cyrus and Julius helping make pancakes.

I was able to get to work and back with BART successfully, which means, I’ve survived my first month here in the Bay Area. Woo hoo!

I’m currently living with my brother and his family, who have generously let me crashed in their spare room, in San Leandro. (San Leandro is the burbs next to Oakland, similar to Renton/Kent.) I’m working at SEPHORA as a Marketing Program Manager, where long hours are the norm (some things don’t change!) but I’m doing what I like and feel appreciated. 

I do miss my life in Seattle, a city I’ve made home for 15 years. I miss my friends dearly, along with my regular workouts with KaisaFit and walks/runs around Greenlake. I miss seeing my acupuncturist Yoshiro Tagata every other week, who reminds me to stay away from lactose and eating fruit before going to bed. I miss going to Trader Joe’s every weekend to grab mixed greens and fixings for my salads. I miss Blue Fridays (Go Hawks!). I miss driving from my apt to downtown in 10-15 minutes. I miss the affordable cost-of-living. And I definitely miss having a place of my own. 

My dad and Cyrus playing at Lake Merritt in Oakland.

Despite paying $12 every day to take a 35-minute BART ride into The City (aka San Francisco) for work, eating $15 salads for lunch, living out of boxes and suitcases, and negotiating (unsuccessfully) with 2-1/2 and 5-year-old nephews for some quiet time, I feel good about my decision to leave Seattle.

Truth be told, I felt my time in Seattle was up. I formed solid friendships, experienced what I wanted, and collected many great memories along the way, but Seattle was losing its small-city appeal. I wanted to leave while the feeling for the Puget Sound was still good. (It’s like breaking up with a guy where the romance is gone, but still want to be friends with!)

While San Francisco and the surrounding Bay Area are definitely not small, I’m attracted to—and feeling optimistic about—the opportunities it offers. I’m currently looking for my own place, where Lady and I can have some peace and quiet again. And then, it will be only a matter of time before I established a routine for my new life here.

Thank you for your continuous love and support! Once I get settled, I invite family and friends to visit and help create new memories! 

The family celebrating my dad's 72nd birthday in the Bay Area.