Week 06…

This is absolutely how I feel about the Meg J. residing within the City by the Bay.

In spite of having lived a lovely life in Washington, one filled with family, friends, and many good memories, I realized about a year ago (give or take) that I had to leave. Call it what you will — a wanderlust born of moving from place to place as a child; the pull of destiny; or even boredom, extreme-home-makeover-edition — I needed to make a change. And this change needed to be bigger than selecting a new color scheme for my hair. Quite simply, I needed to cast off my little shell and scuttle out into the ocean to become the next version of myself.

For those not up on the personal mathematics of Meg: I had been living in the greater Puget Sound for more than a decade, fourteen years to be precise. The Megan that went up North from Cal Poly was in need of a future, and the path to that future was graduate school, and then a series of jobs that eventually led back to the very University from which she had earned her Master’s degree. Beyond work, that decade also saw the marriage of a most-beloved sister, the death of a dearly-adored parent, and the return of many old faces and a welcoming of the new. But the sparkling and soggy charms of the Pacific Northwest couldn’t stem my restlessness — and this was exacerbated by the pandemic and the shrinking of my world to my apartment, and then alternatively to a room in my mother’s home (for which I was very grateful).

I’m an introvert (I may have mentioned it), but I have never been an isolationist. I think my artistic pursuits are the clearest indicator of this: choir, theatre, or even writing this blog — they all necessitate connection. No Meg is an island.

After the world started to open back up, so did my sense of possibility. At first I wanted to love (I meant to write “live”, but those who know me know ;)) abroad in Ireland, but the state of the world continued to grow ever more turbulent, and the economic demands of an international move rocked me the same way the Irish sea would an unmoored vessel: not gently.

I felt adrift (yes, this metaphor is sailing along with me), and yet, every time I had to travel to San Francisco for work, the good ship Meggie-pop felt quite safe in this more-south Pacific harbor; I had a built-in community of coworkers who liked me and whom I liked, and California struck my heart as both comfortably familiar and excitingly novel.

But enough of what was, let’s talk about what is. Coming back to California has felt like coming back to the best version of myself (certainly one of the happiest): my intellectual curiosity feasts on museums and lectures given in local taverns; I feel more grounded during these “interesting times” thanks to the nature that is literal blocks away from my front door; and I have barely begun to explore this “cool, gray city of love” and its myriad boroughs… but I am fortunate enough to have many guides to show me the way, like my friend Jess, and my aforementioned colleagues.

My own steady feet and intuition have also proven reliable… and that “gut feeling” often extends to San Francisco’s gastronomical offerings. Bakeries, dumpling dens, Michelin-star joints, and dishes from (probably) any country you can name make “The City” (and “The Town”!) a culinary kaleidoscope of delight. Just yesterday in North Beach, I had “baby’s first Dutch crunch” in the form of the best veggie sandwich ever, and this was followed (after some shopping, of course) by dessert (featuring the best tiramisu, also ever). I understand why my coworkers are a bunch of foodies, this place will turn you into one.

I’ll leave you now with some words of wisdom from local legend, V. Vale — whom I met yesterday — quoting his GOALS OF LIFE: “As much Humor As Possible! RE/SEARCH the FUTURE Forever! Look Good, Sound Good, Feel Good!”

Thanks for a solid first quarter, San Francisco (never “San Fran”); here’s hoping that you continue to Exceed Expectations, and that I get to grow along with you.

SF Neighborhoods/Places Explored: North Beach, Chinatown

Soundtrack: “Take Five” by Minoru Muraoka

Bus + Bench Book: If On a Winter’s Night a Traveler, by Italo Calvino

Lesson-Learned: Sometimes the good things in life are worth a little discomfort (food, I’m talking about really good food)