My mom had eye procedure this past week for her cataracts. While I visited her in Richmond, I took an evening to take a run around Belle Isle. It’s been nearly 2 decades since I’ve worked out there. For context, I used to work out at 5am with a fitness group led by an ex-navy seal. This was one of the locations we rotated in each week, and it was probably the most scenic experiences watching the sun rise over city while doing ruthlessly intense workout.
It’s wild to think I used to work out with my buddy Mark here—we held each other on the railing, doing endless tricep dips. There’s a bit of nostolgia here, and I was reminded of the pace/lifestyle of richmond. As I ran around Belle Isle thursday evening, there were mountain bikers, kayakers, and people out on the water. No one was in a rush, and it felt nice.
I’m not sure if I’ll ever settle back down in Richmond, but I understand its allure.
There’s an old saying, “if you don’t want to start over again, don’t quit”. Over the last few years, I’ve been travelling back and forth from coast to coast, and I’ve quit my workout/diet several times. My entire life, I had always been pretty skinny, but one day, I woke up overweight, overworked, and middle-aged. Over the past year (during covid), I could have worked out and lost some weight, but I think a big part of me was still mentally split between San Francisco and the east coast.
As you know, I’ve recently moved back to the east coast, and I’m in the process of consolidating my life and time. I’ve made health a priority by doing the following:
Establish new doctors in maryland
Check on the state of my health (thyroid levels, status of my a-fib, and overall health)
Eat healthier
Exercise
Get proper sleep
Lose weight
So far, I’ve established new doctors and I’m happy to report that my thyroid levels are normal and I no longer have a-fib. The doctors are working together to reduce my medication—I’ve already subtracted flecanide, which is a huge relief. I still need to meet with my general physician later this month.
As for eating healthier, I’ve been starting a proper diet. The biggest challenge is the quantity of food that I can eat—since I’m at a caloric deficit, I experience hunger more often. I’ve also been meal prepping, which has helped automate my eating habits because it’s one less choice I have to make. The next step is to focus more on my macro nutrients as I track everything I eat.
I’ve been doing pretty well on the exercise part. Over the last few weeks, I’ve been dialing up my workouts as I track how many calories I’m burning. On days where I’m over my caloric budget, I try to add in an extra work out. Recently, I purchased a Peloton Tread Plus and it’s been easier to hop on and off to get a quick walk/hike in during the day. It’s more convenient than my Peloton Bike. While I enjoy the spin classes, walking seems to burn more calories. I’m at a point now where I can run at least a mile a day, albeit slowly.
I’ve been going to bed earlier, and I’ve been getting proper sleep. This helps me function a little better during the day, however, I still believe I need to go to bed earlier and set a habit of turning off my phone at that time. I have a bad habit of playing on my phone before bed, and it can keep me up for an extra hour… which is a poor trade of time.
Lastly, I want to lose weight. I was 195.6lbs. I just weighted myself at 175.2 this weekend. I’ve reached my first milestone of losing 20lbs. It’s been quite a journey so far, and the next milestone is 165lbs.
Strength training will begin a month from now, where I can put more energy towards building muscle. It’ll take time, but I’ll get there in a few months.
Since I’ve been back, I’ve helpe Annie to kick off her YouTube channel. She’s tinkered with TikTok, but the type of content she creates is best suited for the longer YouTube format.
I’ve wanted to create a channel myself for a long time, but I’ve found it hard to focus on a specific vertical. I’m constantly experimenting with different themes, and I’ve found that things that I spend the least amount of time on get the most views. I’ll eventually kick one off myself.
For now, I’ll help Annie. Check out her content here. It’s actually pretty good. She’s improving with each new video. She’s using my lights and microphone, but she’s shooting all the video with her iPhone 12 Pro Max.
The past 3 weeks flew by. I spent all my free time packing, coordinating a car transport, and wrapping things up in California. It’s been less than 48 hours since I’ve been back in Maryland, and almost everything has come together. I was able to ship back most of my stuff either in my car or in my check in luggages.
As always, there’s a little anxiety getting on a plane, but I was able to get through it. I had a layover in Denver, which always helps break up the long flight. I can tell you that wearing a mask for over 12 hours wasn’t comfortable, but I didn’t feel as much tension around me… which was interesting.
I can’t put my finger on it, but the energy in the Bay Area is strange… and it seems to affect everyone. Maybe it’s because everyone’s cooped up with cabin fever. I was only there for a short time, and I felt it myself.
This is the picture of my room in Daly City. I think a lot of other people are feeling the same way—trapped inside, claustrophobic, anxious. People here already work a lot, and it just feels like a huge weight of expensive living cost and high taxes, without the perks of being in California. Everything there seems heightened.
So the good news is that all of that is in the past now… and I can focus on the future. That being said, moving was expensive… and I’m probably not going to relocate again for a very long time. I think a lot of people want to go on vacation and get out of the house, but I’m perfectly fine just chilling for a little.
All of my stuff is back, and I’ve set up PC downstairs in the basement. I’ve even set up my VR, which is kind of cool to have more space to move around.
I was also able to get my car back unscathed as well. Our next project is to organize the garage and make it easier to park both our cars. It’s a pretty tight fit right now, but I think we can make a little more room.
So now that I’m back, I can reset my personal life and reclaim my time. While I was in Maryland for the majority of last year, I think that a part of me was always pre-occupied by California because I knew I was locked into a lease and most of my stuff was there.
It’s good to be back, and I look forward to catching up with y’all soon.
In 18 hours, I’ll be on a flight back to Maryland. I couldn’t say farewell to everyone in person, but hopefully they know that I wanted to stop by.
I was lucky enough to see Joe and Justin one last time yesterday evening. It was refreshing to spend time with old friends.
Some people asked me if it feels bittersweet. To be honest, I’m just bitter that I had to pay for a place that I couldn’t really use over the last year. I’m looking forward to not paying double for living expenses.
Even though it’s been 3 weeks, time has flown by. I’ve spent my time packing, cleaning, working, and prepping for tomorrow. The good news is that I was able to take back almost everything with me except a few items that hopefully my roommate (David) can find useful.
I’ll be checking in two luggages tomorrow, and I’ll take my bookbag with me on the plane. It’s going to be a long flight with a layover. But I’ve done it all before, so I’ve got it down to a science.
The only thing that remains is picking up my car from the transport sometime this coming week. Hopefully, it’s unscathed from its 3000 mile trek. At that point, it’s done.
I took a couple of photos as reminders of this place. I’ve never considered it home, but I’ll miss my people and the panoramic views.
For now, it’s time to order some food and enjoy one final dinner here. I was going to just heat up some canned food, but I think that’s a weak sauce way to wrap things up. The last meal needs to be special. I could go for some udon. Heh.
It’s the question that I’ve been getting from all my friends recently on IG and FB. My stories have consisted of me packing up and prepping to head back to the east coast.
And the short answer is, yes.
I moved out to San Francisco in 2015, and it was kind of a big deal for me at the time. I sold all my stuff, quit my job (which was a really good one), and slept on couches in the Bay Area until I could find a place to rent. That included me flying back and forth between the coasts on a monthly basis.
In this time, I’ve grown and learned much more about the people and the space. I’m still working on stuff here, but it’s time to head back to the east coast and consolidate my time and money.
Last year (in Jan 2020), I signed a lease for another year in the Bay Area, and then COVID hit. Let’s just say it’s been expensive to be locked into it. The good news is that this is my last 5 days here. In fact, in just 1 more hour, it will be t-minus 4 days.
It seems that I’ve come back full circle, returning back to the east coast. Living In San Francisco has never felt like home. While things may have become more familiar, I don’t think I’ll ever miss the smell of urine in the city, homelessness, and tech-bros. I, however, will miss the immense views of the pacific coast, the endless winding roads, and the earthy smell of redwood forests. I will always keep those moments in my memories as I reminisce.
Some people have described this to me as an end of an era for me. I think it’s been more of a transition. To give you context, Annie and I have discussed this for the last two years—where did we want to ultimately be. I think it was important for us to be be near her family as well as mine as everyone gets older.
I would prefer working in person, but at this point in history, we all have to work remotely. This is one tide that I think I’ll have to ride, versus swim against.
As I think about the future, I need to make better investments with my time and money. I need to take care of my physical and mental health so that I can take care of those around me. Over the last year, I’ve had too much anxiety worrying about california, moving, my company, people, etc. I think 2021 I will be focusing a little more on myself, so that in turn, I can give back to others and my work. As I count down the days, I realize that it’s becoming real. This may be my last time in the Bay Area for a while. I’m sure the gravity will always pull me back here, but I think that it’s time to grow roots again, and ground myself somewhere so I can develop a routine and take care of myself.
