The End of an Era....

4/26/15

 

This may not look like much more than a grungy, shower-less, basic,

boring office space to anyone but me. To me, it's been a second home

for almost ten years. JP and I started coming here back in the TopPost

days and created IPRental here when Craigslist sued us, unjustly ending

the life of TopPost. IPRental made a lot of money for a long time and it

was a really fun ride. What's more, it was great to be a part of an organic,

necessary niche product that allowed us, among other things, to aid

Iranians to communicate and organize during the election a few years

back when their corrupt government was censoring their every move.
 

In between directing piles of "taking", "donating", "trashing", and "giving

away to craigslist free-takers", I cried a lot today. JP continued reminding

me of all of my complaints of this ridiculous place, but also pointed out

that I don't actually love it here. I love what it represents. He's right.

I hated scrubbing that disgusting bathroom to the point of sweating and

it always looking dingy. Almost taunting me. I hated not having a kitchen

to create in. I hated not being able to entertain without embarrassment

of this crazy urban-camping lifestyle we had created.

On the other hand, my first solo cross-country road trip was here. I grew here. I learned more about myself at a time in my life where I was open to any and everything. Here. It all started here. Before this, I never knew I could leave Minnesota and experience anything I wanted, just by getting in my car. I now know, it's that simple. Have a destination, start the engine, and take a chance. So many things happened here. I fell in love with biking here. I fell in love with my best friend here. I had so many bike breakthroughs here, I've lost count. Only moments remain. So many memories. Snippets of time forever burned into my soul. The Hawaiian place that I'll forever have an inside joke with the owner. The Japanese place that is always freakishly cold, even though the building has no A/C. I'll bundle up for the best salmon nigiri around.. Mom's Tofu House that has the rudest waitress in the history of the world, but their tofu salad bar is well worth the abuse. Our favorite bikram yoga followed by King Wah; best pan-fried noodles in the bay area. All the fun nights we've had in the city. Body-boarding for the first time, scared to death of Jaws, only to find out later, we were in the red-triangle and my "irrational" fear was a very real possibility. Numerous mtb adventures in the pogonip, never getting our bikes ripped off...... Road-riding out to the ocean on my first solo bike ride climbing two major ridges..... the bike hut...... san gregorio general store with the most delicious ham sandwiches a rider could ever hope for..... illegally camping on the beach on a whim...... meeting friends up at dipsea..... visiting wine country..... poaching huddart park when buzzy INSISTED we wouldn't get caught...... we did.

For all of these reasons and more, it's the end of an era.