Living My Best Life — San Francisco 2023
I have been an empty nester before, but not really. College kids come back, their things are still in the closet and they come and go. Not this time. My youngest daughter graduated in June with a degree in Business Administration and took a job in downtown Portland and promptly moved to Lake Oswego. This time we didn't pack her up to move home at the end of the school year. We packed her up to move North of home. It was also my home post-University having grown up in the Willamette Valley so I understand. Portland is a beautiful city and all of her college friends are there. I did the same until San Francisco called me with her beautiful vistas, foggy weather, and azure water. It held so much opportunity for me that I never looked back. Not until recently.
Staying In San Francisco
After much agonizing over the decision to stay in the Doom Loop of San Francisco or not when I finally decided to stay I promised myself I would make the absolute best of it.
That decision has changed everything and I have been busy doing new things. I went to a jazz concert last week and heard the great STANLEY CLARKE & GONZALO RUBALCABA and it was magical, to say the least. They had three standing ovations. I've never been a big jazz fan, but now I am. I went to an opening for the photographer Gus Powell and I was able to meet him which was incredible as he is quite famous. He was of course extraordinarily gracious. I am also attending the opening night of the SF Opera in a few weeks.
Photography, Opera, and Jazz have not historically been on my bucket list, but I am open to exploring new things.
Red Smoke by Gus Powell
Plus, I've been doing what I normally love to do spending time at the Saint Francis working on Race Committee. I spent a pleasant two days on the beach watching the US Open Kite Races and then last weekend on the Wilheim doing flags for the Swiftsure Regatta.
Sailboats Under the Golden Gate
I even took a day trip up to Napa Valley to see friends in St. Helena and Sonoma. But, at the end of the day, no matter where I go or what I do I come home and it's just me. This time no one is coming back. I have a guest room, but that implies if a child does return they don't really live here they are just that, a guest.
Luckily my niece works in the city and spends the night with me sometimes. It's fun to get up with her and cook her breakfast because neither of my daughters ever ate breakfast. I love making her coffee and sitting with her in the morning, but that doesn't change the fact that I am now permanently alone. Or, alone for the foreseeable future. I am avoiding the temptation to throw myself into more work. That is my go-to for any type of uncomfortable change. I work more, and take more on. This time I am sitting with it and making the best of it. I am reading more. I am working out. I am cooking. I am making things like cilantro salad dressing and I am listening to the album Travels by Pat Metheny on Spotify on repeat. I am calm. I am so incredibly calm.
As for San Franciso, things are improving. People are returning to work. Even Zoom workers are ironically returning to the office. The streets have more people which dilutes the homeless issues near the Financial District. I feel safer here, but I have modified my behavior. I don't spend very much time on the street now. Many of the stores are closed and I order almost everything online. I feel isolated from the problems here as I am either home and high above them, or in the Marina or down on the Embarcadero, North Beach, or Chinatown. I will stroll through Union Square on occasion, but mostly I avoid it. Many of the stores are closed now or in the process of closing. What will become of them remains to be seen. The Doom Loop and now the Doom Loop Tour of Union Square, City Hall, and the Tenderloin are still big in the news, but I don't see this as much as I do not go there or even drive by now.
There is more to San Francisco than the downward spiral of office space and shopping and I am enjoying the rich diversity of the city, my neighbors, and my new friends. I also love the weather, the water, sailing, and the treasures to be found culturally here in the food and the arts. For these things, I am very grateful. I am also grateful for my fine health and ability to walk for miles and do and see so much here.
Most importantly, I am enjoying spending time with my Ocean SF summer interns. Every year I think I could not possibly get better interns, but I am always wrong. I sense that I get the interns I need. This year my interns are working on Grants and Social Media. Many have tried, but Ocean SF has not gotten a lot of traction on Instagram, but TikTok loves us and we have been very successful there. My Summer 2023 intern Zoe has the magic touch and pushes me to try new things. It's been so much fun to be creative with this tool, so, check us out on Tiktok.
When I'm not working on Ocean SF I am doing leadership development which I truly love. I love my clients and seeing them succeed and thrive is my passion. I am also the Production Manager on a movie for the 48-Hour Film Project. When I was young I modeled and I was in one movie, then in my 40's I did many modeling projects and commercials. For this movie, I'm the Production Manager, but I am happy to get in front of the camera if necessary. It's been fun so far and I am excited to see how we do.
Wishing everyone a magical last few days of this beautiful August 2023 and a very happy summer. Love and blessings to all.
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