Consulting work continued to flow in and we were grateful. Our savings were being replenished as we were still under my parents’ roof. This definitely helped with managing the expenses I must say. Also, our confidence was quickly returning and there was a sense of having a purpose in this harsh world again. Something about running a family business into the ground really can put a damper on one’s day.

All in all, I also knew that where we were could only carry us so far. The thought still lingered in my mind that something still needed to change – for us to be truly happy. A suggestion by a friend, an idea, and the pure simplicity of it came to me as a revelation almost by storm. I was always taught that a geographical cure was never the answer to any problem. But in the situation where the current location was really just a band-aid, I figured, well, this guideline just really didn’t apply.

But being cautious as I was, I didn’t feel like making the same mistake twice. I knew I had to think this through. Our last relocation did not really go so well. This was definitely a risk. And our ability to endure another similar mishap was really uncertain. It was a difficult decision. But, the alternative of not doing, not trying something, wasn’t that pretty of a picture either. It really did boil down to which was an easier pain to endure. It had to be in the cards, I figured – whatever it was.

“San Francisco,” I said. It was out there and I couldn’t take it back, “…San Francisco,” I said it again.

We planned where we were going to stay, what we were going to bring, how we were going to eat and sleep. We were meticulous, just less than anal. It was about a chance at a new life and on the night of June 17, 2005, after a full day’s work, Elizabeth, Megan, and I boarded a plane at JFK International. We were heading over to the great San Francisco Bay Area. It seemed like a long flight as my head uncomfortably bobbed up and down as I drifted off to sleep several times. Short dreams filled my head of a fresh start for our family laughing and playing at a sun-drenched park and also nightmares of being a failed father where I steered my family into the streets of homelessness. Like a game of tug of war, this lasted for several hours until we finally touched down.

It was approximately eleven pm Pacific time, which more or less, felt like two in the morning to us coming from the East Coast. We struggled over to the baggage claim, where Elizabeth had to carry most of our carry-ons and I carried my bag and our very drowsily sleeping daughter. We waited for what seemed to be an eternity for our bags to come around the carousel and then hobbled ourselves over to the car rental shuttle bus. It was raining out this very night, but it wasn’t hot and humid like we thought it could have been. Nonetheless, our clothes were already weathered and sticking to us and the coolness of the night offered some relief.

The hotel wasn’t that far from the airport. The rain made navigating and carrying the bags, Megan, and ourselves a little bit more challenging. But, we only had a little bit further to trudge and we marched on.

We pulled into the hotel on this rainy night. It wasn’t what we exactly had imagined – hotels by the airport seldom are. But it had a shower, a warm bed, and it was more than welcome. Soon inside, we unloaded our survival gear and cooked up a couple of bags of instant noodles. Turning on the television, I contently watched any reruns of the news I could find to get a glimpse of – figured this would be a good indicator to where we wound up.

The irony in all of this was that it never seems to rain in California between the months of April and December, but it rained that night. And it was a tough night. The future was truly uncertain. But we had to try.

This was three years ago – June 17, 2005.

And it was the last uncomfortable rainy night we’ve ever had. It has to be in the cards. Fingers crossed.

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This is the last installment of ‘Back in 2005’ and hopefully, this has captured most, but not all, that occurred during that time.  Admittingly so, it was a very painful period for not just myself, but for Elizabeth and possibly Megan as well.  Nonetheless, it’s a part of our family history and what makes us stronger today. For the initial parts, please click on the links below:  

  Back in 2005 (Break in the Melancholy)
  Back in 2005 (An Understatement)

Thanks for reading,
Peter