Ten years ago on March 24, I got on a plane headed west. I was leaving New York – a city I call home because that is where I first landed as an immigrant – and was headed to San Francisco to take a job at (the now defunct) Business 2.0 magazine. It wasn’t by choice that I was moving — I spent a couple of years during the Internet Bubble in San Francisco — and always wanted to move back to the Big Apple. And there I was, back in San Francisco, again!
To be honest, I didn’t really want to be in SF. That is why I never gave up my New York phone number or my storage unit, where thousands of my books sit, in quiet wait for me to comeback and take them out of their quiet air conditioned cell. Once, I even talked my boss into transferring me to New York, where I am told there was an office for me in the Time-Life building along with a functioning phone line, a luxury I have not enjoyed in San Francisco. But something stopped me from going back.
A few months later, I had packed up, moved out the 29th floor of No. 1, California Street, eschewing lovely views of the San Francisco Bay and instead opting for a sidewalk office right across from my apartment. It turned out to be a good move, for I got a chance to live my dream and indulge in my passion for blogging and writing. Just like that, ten years went by
Fast forward to the future, as luck would have it, I was flying back to San Francisco from New York on the same day, March 24th. Life has a strange way of repeating itself.
Congratulations, Om. I believe I’ve been reading your writing for close to 8 years, as I was an avid subscriber of Business 2.0 (man, that was such a great magazine!) and am obviously an avid reader of GigaOm. I’m certainly looking forward to continuing to be a fan, and am glad to see that you’re planning to continue to write, as well. Would love to have drinks together at some time, hopefully fate affords us the opportunity.
Thank you kind sir for your decade long support. 🙂
Thanks for the memories. In my early days in PR (in 2000) I remember vividly a meeting you spearheaded at the Red Herring with the key reporters and editors and the then little known CEO of Autonomy, Mike Lynch. Time flies, congratulations Om. Tech journalism is better for having you in it (and here).
🙂 Both great cities. Where ever it is you land, take joy from it. You never know how long you’re really gonna stay.
This photo is amazing! Stunning view!
Thanks @blackandwhite for the compliment. I am working on taking more SF photos 🙂
I like your photos, you have a specific way of demonstrating what you want, you have talent
Thanks @wolfman for your encouragement.
This is such a cool concept… “10 years ago I headed West…” oh what a journey for you! 😉 7 years ago I headed wayyyyyy East (Beijing) so I can relate ;)…. looking forward to following…
@taorize thanks for sharing. I hope Beijing is good for you. PS: From San Francisco, it is still heading west 😉