San Francisco: Year One
The first day we arrived in San Francisco. It was 9:00pm on Halloween. This is everything we brought with us - it all fit in our car.
This time of year seems to always make me a bit nostalgic. Maybe because it’s around the time we moved here two years ago. But, it always feels like a good time to look back on the years past while preparing for what’s to come.
So I thought I’d share some bits from our first year here. That was the year Xan started his first job out of grad school, we moved across the country to a city where we knew nobody, lived in a studio apartment, and explored this place like we were tourists on an amazing vacation every single day. That year was good. Everything was fresh and new. Any struggles of living in the city were eclipsed by that honeymoon feeling of starting something new and exciting. It’s fun thinking back on that time of pure delight - before any amount of jaded-ness crept in. We tried so many new things that year, hosted several of our closest friends and families, oh yeah, and lived our first year as a married couple. It was a honeymoon phase of our life in so many ways.
A couple weeks in we went to our first brunch in the city - something we especially loved doing at the time. This is at Blackwood in the Marina.
A view that we never got tired of. This picture and variations of it were taken over and over. How can you not when this quintessential view is practically in your back yard?
Our neighborhood for the first couple years.
Making a little bit of progress. No furniture, but at least the boxes are unpacked!
We've been enamored with the fog from the very beginning and still are.
Diving into discovering our favorite spots around the neighborhood. The pastries at Le Marais are still some of my favorite in the city.
Another one of those backyard-golden-gate shots. Seriously, it never gets old.
Golden gate waters along one of our favorite walking/running paths - Marina Green.
We made an obligatory trip Ghirardelli square to get an ice cream sundae as big as your head! It was tasty, but a major tourist area. To be honest we only went the once. But, it was a fun adventure.
Oh! Look at that progress! Our bed is off the floor and we have a couch and a rug! Baby steps.
No longer able to get my favorite southern food around every corner I got to work learning how to bake delicious biscuits. Truth be told, Xan's the master of the biscuits now. It's his secret weapon. And I love it!
Our first Thanksgiving both as married couple and in San Francisco. It was just the two of us, but as you know Thanksgiving is pretty special to us so we went all out.
More fog. And killer views. Can you tell we were smitten? The view from the Fillmore Street Steps is one of the most spectacular but accessible views around.
We celebrate our first Christmas here as well. Again, staying in town just the two of us. It was before we even met any friends. It was kind of magical.
Made our first stop at Molinari. An authentic Italian deli that makes amazing sandwiches. It's also a great spot to get some unique Christmas gifts.
Our modest Christmas decorations that year. Oh, and look at that! More furniture and some added lighting.
More snaps of that icon...
We took our first jaunt outside the city by driving North on the 1. Here is the beautiful Muir Beach Overlook.
After exploring the coast we worked up and appetite and stopped for brunch and brew at Mill Valley Beer Works. Highly recommend it - good food, solid beer, and nice interiors. My personal trifecta.
We celebrated Christmas Eve by getting dressed up and going to the symphony. It was fun!
Found this great knife shop. They have some great products and you can drop your knives off to be sharpened. Nice!
One of our good friend's from college visited us in January and of course we spent time picnicking and relaxing on the beach at Crissy Field.
I took a letterpress class at San Francisco Center for the Book. It was a lot of fun and really informative. I very much recommend it.
And I participated in a necklace making workshop at the Oh Happy Day studios. Another one to check off the list!
Took my first yoga class at Grace Cathedral for Yoga on the Labyrinth. It's truly an indescribable experience. Doing yoga in the middle of the cathedral with hundreds of other people is something you have to experience to understand.
Xan's parents came for a visit. One of the things we did together was the Exploratorium After Dark. On Thursdays the keep the museum open late, have bars stationed around the place, and only adults are allowed. It's a great way to experience the museum.
We also visited Healdsburg where is parents lived for a bit in the 70s. It was fun to experience it with them as it was their first time back. Another perk was visit Healdsburg Shed. A lovely spot in wine country.
Another stop was our favorite spot along the 1. The Marshall Store. It's this little shack right on the side of road over looking Tomales Bay. Some of the very best oysters we've had and the view is completely unbelievable. Go there. Seriously.
I hosted a bachelorette party for one of my nearest and dearest. There were seven us staying in our studio apartment for the weekend. It was both crazy and amazing. One of those things you only do when you're 26 and don't think too hard about anything.
Here's the bachelorette! We're at the top of Lombard street - a must do for any tourist.
We took our first trip back to NC for her wedding. We stayed for nearly 2 weeks spending time with my family and Xan's it was pretty magical. All everyone asked about was how much we were loving San Francisco.
We made homemade pasta with my mom's new pasta maker. Little did we know that 6 months later we would become obsessed with homemade pasta making it all the time...
We stopped for a visit at my Grandparents house. My Grandmother has the most spectacular garden. Huge, lush peonies as far as the eye can see are only one of many varieties she has growing.
After getting back to the city we took a trip across the bridge and visited Rustic Bakery and Cafe in Larkspur. It was cute and in the middle of suburbia which quite frankly feels like home for us.
We went to Off the Grid for the first time. Their Fort Mason location on Fridays was just a few blocks from our apartment and always a great time. 20+ delicious food trucks, live music, and cocktail tent set against a back drop of the water and Golden Gate bridge while the sun is setting. I mean really it doesn't get much better. They have locations in several places around the city and I'm sure their great, but I absolutely recommend checking it out.
I had bangs for a minute.
Yet another one of those breathtaking views.
Found this quaint sign on a day trip north to Point Reyes for some hiking.
Speaking of oysters...do yourself a favor and go to Water Bar any day of the week between 11 and 5 and eat dollar oysters off of white cloth laced tables with view of the bay. One of the best and most beautiful deals in town!
We went to our first show at the free, summer-time concert series Stern Grove Festival. I cannot convey to you enough how much fun this was. It's lush green oasis on the outskirts of the city. You nestled in a grove of trees with people happy people surrounding you in every direction. The atmosphere is relaxed and sophisticated and fun all at the same time. Pro tip: Make yourself delicious picnic food, show to get a good spot and make a whole day of it. We saw
I made this tasty butter cake with chocolate ganache frosting. Yum!
We discovered 4505 Barbeque in Nopa. One of our favorite spots for BBQ (xander) and french fries (Allie). Oh, and that breaded block to the left is fried macaroni and cheese. Yup, now you want some.
We got this really awesome chair at the Alamo Square flea market. It's a once/year event usually in early summer. We went with friends on a whim and found this gem for $20. No, seriously, $20! We weren't expecting to find anything so we didn't bring a car. That was no problem for Xan! It worked as his seat on the Muni... We have plans recover it, but until we do it's actually in pretty decent shape.
We spotted whales on a trip down the coast! Read all about our trip to a sleepy beach town.
I caught this glimpse of an epic moon while in nob hill one evening.
I went through my entire closet and got rid of nearly all of it. I started a capsule wardrobe. I'm still figuring out what that term means to me, but it feels really good to be more selective and intentional about the clothes I bring into my life. It seems counter intuitive but it makes getting dressed so much easier. If you're at all interested in the capsule wardrobe concept I recommend listening to this podcast.
We watched breathlessly along with the rest of the city as the Giants won another world series. And then got a front row seat at the victory parade. That Madison Bumgarner a North Carolina native!
And that's a wrap! Our first year was wild and wonderful and really fun to look back on. Be on the lookout for year two coming soon.