It’s been mentioned too many times but I’ll say it again – 2020 has been an insane year. It speaks volumes that the generic greeting has transformed from “How are you?” to “Hope you’re well and staying safe and sane.” But that’s the world we’re living in, and along with the pandemic, sociopolitical unrest, wildfires, and all the other downers also came opportunities for positive and epoch-shifting change in my own life.
When shelter in place first started, I bunked down in my apartment in downtown SF, starting up some weekly routines to adjust to a new life spent mainly indoors and alone. As the weeks rolled by, I settled into a tepid balance of trying to stay afloat while embracing new habits and hobbies. Work became Slack chats. Socials became Zoom gatherings. Church became YouTube livestreams. Things were slowly moving, but it was soon clear that change was inevitable, and change was coming quick.
First came the job insecurity. Our travel startup unsurprisingly took a big hit during the pandemic and initiated several rounds of layoffs. We lost some incredible folks, including long-time teammates and excellent leaders. Although I still consider myself extremely fortunate to have been able to work remotely while being spared from the cuts, I knew that I was in a tough position that wasn’t likely to improve very soon.
Next came the news that both my roommates had decided to move out of our downtown SF apartment, having stayed at home already for the first few months of the pandemic. I’d always joked to my friends that I’d live in this rent-controlled apartment for the rest of my life, but now I’d have to find two new roommates, likely strangers, in the middle of a pandemic. It didn’t help that many folks were already starting to move out of the city. I also had the feeling that rents would drop soon.
Looking back, the ball got rolling as soon as the pandemic hit. It just took some time to start feeling its effects. When things started to unravel in early May, I was still deciding the best course of action. Do I stay with what I know, or should I start looking for new opportunities? Even tougher was the fact that I loved working with my former team and really appreciated my apartment and neighborhood, where I’d lived for close to seven years.
Around this time, several recruiters and old colleagues reached out to me about opportunities at other companies. The timing was so close together that I took it as a sign – I’d do phone chats, prep for some interviews, and worst case get a bit of recruiting practice in, since I was definitely rusty after three-and-a-half years. As the talks progressed and I had more time to think things through, I gradually felt more compelled that this was the right direction. Despite the scariness of interviewing and possibly starting anew during a pandemic, I took it on as a challenge and opportunity for growth.
The recruiting process was tough, to say the least. I’d spend a full day logged into work, solving tough problems and working with all the personnel changes while fully remote. At night, I’d practice interview questions, chat with folks in my network, and research companies. Naturally, I put a pause on some of my hobbies and routines during this time. The entire process took weeks and there were some small victories sprinkled in with many setbacks and rejections. In the middle of it all, I felt it would never end. But thankfully, I crossed over with a signed job offer for a real estate tech startup called HouseCanary. It would be an entirely new industry to me and I likely wouldn’t meet my co-workers in person until 2021. But I was so grateful for new horizons in my career.
With the apartment question still lingering, I also split my time casually browsing apartment listing sites to get a sense of the market. I quickly made a realization – tons of people had moved away and rents were already starting to drop in the city. I decided then and there that now would be the best time to leave a good deal in pursuit of a better deal. The better deal I was looking for? An affordable studio, ideally near downtown or another neighborhood of interest in the city.
Some of my friends may recall that when asked where I would live in SF if I ever moved out of downtown, I’d responded with the Inner Sunset. I loved its proximity to Golden Gate Park and awesome restaurants. I’m sure that was in the back of my mind during my search. And search I did. One thing to know about me is that whenever I search marketplaces (especially for big ticket items), I get pretty obsessive. Craigslist is my bread and butter – I’ve purchased all of my vehicles through the years, along with finding apartment rentals, on the site. I used to keep spreadsheets but it got to the point where I could browse hundreds of listings, pick out my favorites, initiate email and phone conversations, and also mentally compare prices.
Long story short, I found quite a few potential deals in the downtown area and even went out to see some of the places in person. After a week or so, on a lazy Saturday morning, I found the one. It was an inconspicuous post, so inconspicuous that I’d skipped it initially while scanning the new ads. The pictures looked good, the description made sense, and the listing passed my scam senses. So I reached out immediately, discovered I was one of the first to call, and scheduled a viewing for the very next day. By Monday, my application was approved, and by Tuesday, I’d signed the lease. I’d be moving into an in-law studio in the Sunset.
It was perfect for what I was looking for – just large enough to fit everything I needed, conveniently located close to Golden Gate Park, Ocean Beach, and the shops on Irving. The cherry on top was that I would be paying even less to live in this studio than I had sharing an apartment with two other roommates. This was definitely the better deal I was hoping for.
After taking care of the job and apartment, I set my sights on a car. I’d sold my previous car at the end of last year and finally committed to going car-free in the city. The pandemic along with sheltering in place changed all that, and the move out to the Sunset – where there’s much more space and parking options – sealed the deal in finding my next car. I reasoned it would be nice to have a vehicle easily accessible for grocery runs during the week, longer drives during the weekends, and potentially the occasional super-long road trip that would replace flying.
Back to Craiglist I went. I’ve browsed cars on marketplaces since middle school, so I was definitely comfortable narrowing down my purchase criteria. This time around, I looked specifically for an AWD vehicle, preferably a mid-2000s Subaru Outback or Honda CR-V, between 100-150k miles, in the $5-8k range. After several test drives and ok leads, along with a near-scam (maybe a story for another time), I finally found the deal. It was a 2000 Subaru Forester with all the major maintenance work done, listed far below its private sale value. I drove out first thing in the morning, test drove the car, did some research on the serial number, and paid in cash that same morning. The final price was $2,700, which was a steal and the perfect car for what I needed – a dependable driver that I didn’t have to worry about parking on the street.
And that marked the end of the crazy changes I experienced between May and July this year. At some points, I felt overwhelmed and questioned whether I had too many spinning plates in the air. Near the end of it, there was a two week period where I bought the car, got the final inspection for my old apartment, moved into my new apartment, had my last day at my old company, and started my new job.
But it was all worth it in the end. Over the past month, I’ve been unwinding and enjoying the results of my search. The new job has been going well. I quickly integrated into the team and have been learning a ton in the new role. I finished furnishing and decorating my studio and absolutely love the neighborhood. The Sunset is super walkable, accessible to tons of restaurants and shops, and best of all close to a handful of excellent green spaces within a 1.5 mile radius. I’ve been using my car for grocery trips and taking it on weekend camping trips, racking up a fair amount of trouble-free miles.
Through it all, I recognize my privilege and I’m so grateful for the opportunities that I know not everyone had the luxury of receiving during the pandemic. I’ve always made it a goal to avoid squandering any potential for positive change, and I’m glad that I took the plunge during this time of uncertainty. Writing this out was not just to share with you all but also acts as sort of a closure to this transitional period, when my mind was moving a thousand miles a minute. Thanks to those who helped me along the journey. Even with all the bad news continuing to surface in the second half of 2020, I know that this too shall pass. Stay strong and let’s get through this together.
