It was only Monday, the first day of my unemployment, that it happened. I was with my friend Carolina at Fort Funston. Her beagles were frolicking in the dunes catching gophers, and Tucker was balking at the end of his eight foot leash (because no matter how long the leash is, he always wants to be a foot farther away than that.)
Carolina looked down at her phone to read a text from her husband. “David said they’re going to announce lockdown for San Francisco at 1pm.”
“Wait—they’re locking down at 1pm or their announcing the lockdown at 1pm?”
“They’re announcing it.”
It was 12:40. I wasn’t terribly concerned. Carolina, on the other hand, while calm, was trying to plan for the worst.
“You should go. Get out now while you can. I can go shopping for you or help you pack. Whatever you need. But you should go before you can’t.”
I hadn’t planned on leaving San Francisco for two weeks. My humble abode was paid for till the end of the month, and now that my job ended, I had grand plans of hiking, taking a tour of wine country, seeing friends, and writing. Now it seemed those middle two would be out of the question, but writing and hiking are solitary endeavors I could still enjoy.
There was no way I could pack up my entire place and and still be awake enough to be safe driving the six hours back to southern California.
“You don’t need to get all the way the home. Just get out of San Francisco. You can go to Santa Cruz and be fine,” Carolina suggested.
She was ready to call the beagles back and leave immediately. The announcement hadn’t even gone out yet.
“No, let’s hang out for a bit.”
I wanted to hear what they had to say, how they planned to make this happen, but I also wasn’t overly concerned that I would be jailed in San Francisco… I mean, honestly, how bad would that be anyway since I was already choosing to be there?
Carolina received text updates from her husband as we let our canine kids romp about for another forty minutes. As of midnight, the city would be shutting down and they were requesting all residents to stay at home except for essentials. It was surreal hearing that, as dozens of people and dozens upon dozens of dogs roamed about the open sand dunes and shrubbery. How would they tell everyone about this? Would anybody really listen?
We walked around the usual path and back up to the parking lot. I was still considering leaving, only because if a lockdown did extend past the end of the month, I couldn’t afford to continue renting here. I took one last picture of Tucker atop Fort Funston in case this was our last stop…
Carolina looked down at her phone to read a text from her husband. “David said they’re going to announce lockdown for San Francisco at 1pm.”
“Wait—they’re locking down at 1pm or their announcing the lockdown at 1pm?”
“They’re announcing it.”
It was 12:40. I wasn’t terribly concerned. Carolina, on the other hand, while calm, was trying to plan for the worst.
“You should go. Get out now while you can. I can go shopping for you or help you pack. Whatever you need. But you should go before you can’t.”
I hadn’t planned on leaving San Francisco for two weeks. My humble abode was paid for till the end of the month, and now that my job ended, I had grand plans of hiking, taking a tour of wine country, seeing friends, and writing. Now it seemed those middle two would be out of the question, but writing and hiking are solitary endeavors I could still enjoy.
There was no way I could pack up my entire place and and still be awake enough to be safe driving the six hours back to southern California.
“You don’t need to get all the way the home. Just get out of San Francisco. You can go to Santa Cruz and be fine,” Carolina suggested.
She was ready to call the beagles back and leave immediately. The announcement hadn’t even gone out yet.
“No, let’s hang out for a bit.”
I wanted to hear what they had to say, how they planned to make this happen, but I also wasn’t overly concerned that I would be jailed in San Francisco… I mean, honestly, how bad would that be anyway since I was already choosing to be there?
Carolina received text updates from her husband as we let our canine kids romp about for another forty minutes. As of midnight, the city would be shutting down and they were requesting all residents to stay at home except for essentials. It was surreal hearing that, as dozens of people and dozens upon dozens of dogs roamed about the open sand dunes and shrubbery. How would they tell everyone about this? Would anybody really listen?
We walked around the usual path and back up to the parking lot. I was still considering leaving, only because if a lockdown did extend past the end of the month, I couldn’t afford to continue renting here. I took one last picture of Tucker atop Fort Funston in case this was our last stop…
I hugged Carolina good-bye, and drove back to my little rental house listening to the news. Hearing it first hand, I was being swayed to stay. Parks and trails were still open; I could still walk Tucker around the ‘hood. We rarely encountered people even when they weren’t being asked to stay home. Travel out of the city to get home was still allowed, so needing to leave by midnight was no longer necessary. And then I pondered: leaving tomorrow or a week from tomorrow, does it matter?
I paid for the place, and I wanted to stay. I couldn’t visit friends, but hiking and writing would be most of my days anyway. So I called my landlady and told her I would be staying until they forbid me to leave to go home—in which case I had to leave on the drop of a dime.
But I didn’t expect that to happen. After two days of being indoors, catching up on some writing, I ventured out, but didn’t want to venture far. When I first moved in, my landlady had told me there was a way to get to Glen Canyon Park through the woods from a few streets away and it was really beautiful. Since I was finally home during daylight hours, I thought we’d give it a shot. I found it on alltrails.com, and after a few wrong turns (are there really wrong turns or just a longer path?), I found the entrance.
It was like entering a portal into a fairyland. Wildflowers bloomed along the steep incline. Butterflies danced above. No picture could do it justice.
I paid for the place, and I wanted to stay. I couldn’t visit friends, but hiking and writing would be most of my days anyway. So I called my landlady and told her I would be staying until they forbid me to leave to go home—in which case I had to leave on the drop of a dime.
But I didn’t expect that to happen. After two days of being indoors, catching up on some writing, I ventured out, but didn’t want to venture far. When I first moved in, my landlady had told me there was a way to get to Glen Canyon Park through the woods from a few streets away and it was really beautiful. Since I was finally home during daylight hours, I thought we’d give it a shot. I found it on alltrails.com, and after a few wrong turns (are there really wrong turns or just a longer path?), I found the entrance.
It was like entering a portal into a fairyland. Wildflowers bloomed along the steep incline. Butterflies danced above. No picture could do it justice.
Tucker was instantly overjoyed.
I could see a few people and a couple of dogs on paths farther down into the canyon. But there was no sign of cityscape anywhere. I was in awe of this magical getaway and was disappointed that I had not ventured here earlier in my stay.
There were a few paths to choose from from, but I didn’t feel like one would outdo another; they were all equally fantastic.
There were a few paths to choose from from, but I didn’t feel like one would outdo another; they were all equally fantastic.
Flowers bloomed.
Rocky outcroppings were available for climbing.
After getting all the way to the bottom of the canyon, we headed back up on a different trail that was equally enchanting.
It’s strange to think how our daily walk back in Burbank is about the same: 2.5-3 miles, and yet there it would be along sidewalks. Here it is to a magical land where the the city seems miles away.
Before returning to the city, just over the hill, Tucker sat atop a manhole cover, and I imagined this was a secret portal that others come to and find this other world.
Before returning to the city, just over the hill, Tucker sat atop a manhole cover, and I imagined this was a secret portal that others come to and find this other world.
My home in LA is home because of the life I built there, the friends I have, my yard, my house… but if I can’t see my friends, can’t go out to dinner, or go to a bar, or sit at the coffeehouse, then the redwood forest and the bluffs above the beach is where I need to be.
Because if you’re ordered to shelter in place, this is the place to be—at least for Tucker and me.
Because if you’re ordered to shelter in place, this is the place to be—at least for Tucker and me.
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