Archana Dilip shares why she fell in love with San Francisco.
I can’t remember the first time I landed in San Francisco — likely a visit to family. I was always confused about what to pack: warm or cold clothes? Inevitably, I’d fall sick, caught off guard by the city’s whimsical weather. On a work trip 15 years ago, I walked by the lagoons and was mesmerized by its beauty. I didn’t know it then, but that trip planted the seed for a deeper connection.
Life has a curious way of tying invisible threads, and not long after, I found myself buying my first home within a mile of the very first hotel I had stayed in. I returned to meet the love of my life and stayed to begin a new chapter. As a young adult coming from affordable Texas, I was shocked by the high cost of living here. I complained, I questioned. But quietly, the city began giving — steadily and generously — in ways I hadn’t imagined. Over the past 11 years, its given me more than I could have imagined. It gave me love. It gave me a home. It gave me my two beautiful children. It let me bring my parents to live here.
San Francisco Bay Area offered stability, nature, community and jobs. It became the foundation of a life filled with meaning. It’s been more than just a city to me; it’s been the backdrop of every significant milestone in my adult life. It’s shaped my values, held my tears, heard my laughter and offered a rare kind of peace and stability in an otherwise chaotic world.
Now, as the call to return to my roots grows stronger, I know I may have to leave one day. But even then, I know that I’ll carry it with me. It will be the map I trace in my mind, the smell of the ocean I recall, the hills I dream about. San Francisco Bay Area, I love you. Thank you for everything. With a Perspective, I’m Archana Dilip.