4 minute read
On Krystal: Bonmot shirt (20% off with the code 'iheartsf'); Jeans: Abercrombie (old); Shoes: Manolo Blahnik; Necklaces: Jennifer Zeuner
On Elvis: Nothing! Just his amazing fur coat 🙂
I get oddly nostalgic about moving out of apartments. Even if I'm simply moving across town, there's something about that feeling of finality that hits me pretty hard. Will I ever walk up these stairs again? Will I ever see that downstairs neighbor that I never got along with but desperately tried to befriend? What about the nice ladies at the Starbucks on Fillmore who always remembered my order -- will I get to see them again? And don't get me started on the bay windows -- that perfect morning light will be hard to top elsewhere.
While I was moving out of my apartment last week, frantically cleaning (made easier with an automated vacuum bot), organizing and donating things along the way, I made a point to gather mental images of my most favorite and dear moments in this place - going back to the very start, when I first completed the rental application and got so excited about my new adventure. Because this apartment marked a lot of firsts for me. I brought my first dog home to this apartment. It was the first time I moved in with a boyfriend. It saw me through a few promotions, birthdays, anniversaries (and some heartache) -- it was my home base after countless trips and my refuge when I just needed a break from the world.
I loved that apartment.
Which then, got me thinking. Isn't it funny that we often christen a new apartment when we move into it, but we hardly ever give it a fitting goodbye? We'll toast the new beginning with champagne, but we skip the adieu part. Goodbyes are hard -- I'm not denying that. But it didn't seem right (to me anyway) to leave Apartment 15 without a proper send off -- a thank you and a celebration of sorts of all my favorite moments in that little one bedroom apartment on the third floor, tucked away in Lower Pac Heights.
Given that my space was pretty empty for those last few days, Elvis and I set up camp on the floor with pizza (from Pizzeria Delfina, naturally), beer (Blue Moon!) and lots of magazines (or chew toys for him). I just love how Anna captured not only some great images but images that convey such a moment of transition. Bittersweet but with a heavy lean on the sweet side. We toasted the evening, shared stories of our favorite San Francisco memories, and even ventured out to my fire escape together, which I've been wanting to do for over two years now but never got the courage to do it considering all of the Safety signage surrounding the escape door. After all, they're only supposed to be used in emergencies which shall be the only reason I venture back through it. It was a lovely bookend to my California chapter -- just the right final notes to start my next one here in New York.
That also means, this is the end of my "Left My Heart in San Francisco" series. I hope you enjoyed following along as much as I loved revisiting and sharing places and memories that are near and dear to my heart. I know I have plenty more adventures to document in California, and the West Coast for that matter -- so we're not finished there just yet -- but I can't tell you how excited I am to embark on this next adventure. It's new and exciting and shiny and terrifying all at the same time. But I'm ready for it!
And in honor of that, my good friend Becky, the creative tour de force behind Bonmot (I'm wearing her marble tee here), is offering 20% off for This Time Tomorrow readers to put toward their next purchase. Simply use the code "iheartsf" at checkout.
Enjoy and I hope you all have a beautiful weekend, making memories wherever you are!
Photos by Anna-Alexia Basile