The Corona virus has forced this native Bay Area daughter of the early settlers in San Francisco to move out of state. I was interviewed for the San Francisco Chronicle about leaving, and the photo at the top of this post shows a bit of that.
I left Oakland in April, and moved to my mother’s in rural Washington State. Land of my childhood summer vacations. No MUNI, no BART, no AC Transit buses blowing by out on Grand Avenue as I nap the lockdown days away in my apartment.
I left with much reluctance, as I am the last holdout in the Demoro family to be in the San Francisco Bay Area. I felt, for the longest time, that I was duty bound to stay as long as I could afford to. I lost a great paying job due to layoffs at the beginning of February, then fell into the California statewide lockdown due to Corona.
But the comfort of moving to family, to an area where, as my cousin pointed out to me, I also have roots, is a good thing. My maternal great grandparents raised my grandmother in Fairhaven, in Bellingham. I have a history to explore and connect with here.
As to how this shift in residence will affect the focus of this blog, I have yet to find out. As time goes by, perhaps the history of this area will prompt me to roam the streets and meadows of the area with camera and notebook in hand.
Stay tuned, the connections to San Francisco have not broken, and a new angle will be revealed soon.
