Six Years in San Francisco
A short reflection on my time in the tech capital of the world
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When I first moved to the Bay Area, I told myself I would move back to New York City in two years. Fast forward half a decade later, here I am still in San Francisco. I’ve moved jobs, built meaningful relationships, and finally made friends with the fog.
I am still one of the only girls, if not the only female engineer in every meeting. Like every other techie drawn to this city, I gave rock-climbing a shot, only to discover it wasn’t my cup of tea. I still marvel at how people surf in the freezing ocean. Turns out, this part of California is cooler in more ways than one — both literally and figuratively — and I kind of like it that way.
This morning, I overheard two dudes casually talking about AI while sipping their coffee next to me, which reminded me of some things that haven’t changed since my first week moving to this city. Just like the tech scenes, the captivating murals adorning the streets of Mission, the rich coffee culture in every neighborhood, and the frolicking dogs in parks are the same old constants that make me adore this city over and over again.
A couple of things also have changed since I first moved here: the last Indonesian restaurant in the city has closed, FiDi and Market streets seem much emptier now compared to pre-pandemic days, and rent prices have dropped in some neighborhoods. I see more Teslas and vehicle charging spots than ever before, but public electric mopeds have nearly disappeared.
People now ride driverless robotaxis instead of Uber, as we were the first city on earth to deploy driverless technology in public as of a few months ago. Part of me feels proud and incredibly lucky to have worked in this niche over the past half-decade, playing my small part in pushing the boundaries of technology and realizing the reality of what we once thought was just a distant future. Of course this doesn’t come without some risks, more thoughts on it in my previous reflections below.
Some of my favorite memories here were watching sunsets in Monterrey or by the Ocean Beach, sailing under the Golden Gate Bridge with some friends or above it in a biplane flight with an instructor. I love heading up to Alamo Square Park to see the city waking up in the morning as the sun rises and the fog sets. I am now a big fan of indulging in ice creams during the colder Californian weather, and I wonder if that would already make me a San Franciscan at heart.
I’m still disheartened by the homelessness crisis in this city that overshadows the beauty and magnificent nature surrounding it. During my early residency, I was pretty committed to volunteering and assisting homeless individuals through different nonprofits. However, witnessing the situation worsen over the years has left me somewhat numb.
It’s also surprising that our public transportation, in what’s considered a technologically advanced city, falls short of the convenience it should provide. I’m not a big fan of the NIMBY (Not In My Backyard) mindset either, a characteristic seemingly embedded in San Franciscan culture. Yet, I suppose one must navigate within the given system. If you can’t change it, you accept it.
The list goes on, but as I gaze over the San Francisco skyline from my favorite park in the city, Alamo Square, I can’t help but feel that I am exactly where I need to be today — tomorrow’s mysteries notwithstanding.
All in all though, I’m still awestruck by the brilliant minds that make up Silicon Valley to this day. I am grateful to wake up each day, solving tough problems alongside others who also genuinely care about advancing humanity forward. So I certainly don’t take things for granted, especially for where I am and what I do today. Who knows what lies ahead in the next 6 years or if I’d still be in this part of the world, but for now, I couldn’t be more excited for what’s to come. ✨🏔️
If you are on a similar journey, I’d love to connect with you here or on Instagram, chat soon! x
