Maybe everyone who has ever visited San Francisco and then decided to stay forever has a memory like this. A perfect day in the city, after which you think to yourself: why would I live anywhere else?
For me, that day happened in 2005, and the epiphany took place after strolling down Haight Street doing some vintage shopping. (I know, cliche, but this is my truth.) My now-husband and I popped into Held Over vintage (opens in new tab), where he bought a white Members Only jacket and I bought a floor-length rust-colored duster that would become my signature look for the next two decades. (As typical tourists, we had underprepared for the chilly weather.) Later, in Golden Gate Park, wearing our new garb, we made a plan to try to live in San Francisco as soon as we were out of college.
Now we live here with our two children, who we’ve taken to the store over the years and allowed to pick out silly hats or feather boas…