We all have those people we talk to all day. You know, the ones that you stalk on G-Chat, and then go have lunch with, and then meet for happy hour? You may or may not work with them- but you know EVERYTHING they’re working on, and they you. This is the person you depend on to be online all day- so much so that when they go to a meeting you have no idea what to do with yourself:

Take a second a think of a couple of yours… Go on, I’ll wait.. You got ‘em? Good. Now imagine how you’d feel if they tell you they’re moving away…

This just happened to me.

My friend, let’s call her Princess Sun TakemShots, made the decision to leave San Francisco for many reasons; better quality of life, need for a change, for want of warmer weather, etc. It took her a long time to make the decision final, and I’m proud of her for doing it. Though, devastated as well. She has requested to guest on this blog and share her final farewells to the foggy city by the bay, so here ya go, darlin:

A Little Ode to SF

Of course there’s an infinite list of things and people I will miss and things and people I won’t miss. The distinction is that because it is San Francisco; a place that is magical and never to be forgotten, there’s a thin grey line between miss and happily leave behind. (I say this in regards to as a lifestyle, not the city itself.) Their boundaries tend to blur. I think I’ve summoned that list:

• Riding the 30 Stockton thru Chinatown and getting elbowed by the elderly
• Waking up sat at8amto a tour bus of foreigners snapping photos outside my window on Lombard: of trees, the squiggle at the top hill, the windows, ME!!
• The ridiculous lines for coffee. 4 real
• Neighbors who play the clarinet or jazz flute at5AMon aSunday
• Hardcore enthusiasts of Folsom SF faire; you know who I’m talking about
• Losing my friends during bay 2 breakers and blaming no service, definitely not the booze! Never!!
• Getting trapped in the tunnel for 90 min on the N Judah
• Walking 30 blocks, because it doesn’t seem “that far”
• Fisherman’s Wharfon Saturday
• Trying to do anything in SOMA during a ball game without getting wildly angry or stepping in puke
• Running into at least 3 people you know a day, that work at startups in soma, within a 4 block radius. Ohai!
• Having friends who can relate to your job, because it’s just how startups do. Serious issue: do we give the engineers free dry cleaning or don’t we! Omfg, decisions!
• The homeless man who smokes cigarettes in your stairwell, but whose attorney works in the building
• Utilizing 4 parking spots and fitting a motorcycle, Vespa, 5 cars and a euro van Tetris style magically in the space
• the nude section of baker beach, shield your eyez!
• the excitement of fleet week until you realize the sounds *never stop*
• hipster bars in the mission
• hipster boys
• those hipster bathrooms
• that heavy fog rolling in
• collectively, all of my rides on muni
• marveling over having a yard with grass, because it’s ‘so crazy’

But most of all I will miss and not miss the marina. It’s pretty much the perfect combo of things I will and won’t miss: a place that’s sunny, friends live there, its stereotype that is and isn’t true, union and chestnut st; how they’re amazing until about 8PM and the night begins.

Forever will SF be a turning point in my life, one that’s awakened my soul and restored my faith in possibility. Anything is possible! Anyone who has experienced the city can say there’s an electric energy. It moves you. People move in and out, but in ways that propel that energy to survive. SF is a place of lost love, found hearts, restless souls that come to bloom; a city that we may write love letters to and leave our hearts with, but ultimately in my opinion is an ode to love on its own. We need not leave our hearts of experiencing lost love. SF skies are written with all of the love that passes through and the love that lingers. For the love that engulfs the city is as thick as that morning fog. Always there, never to be lost.

Princess TakemShots – I’m going to miss the shit out of you. But rest assured, well still have a lot of this:

and this:

Though we’ll be doing more of:

and this:

My days will never be quite the same again.

Miss you, Stupid.