2023 unfolded with so much promise. In January, amid the budding anticipation, the year kicked off with excitement and wedding planning, followed by a move in February to our new 2-bedroom place abode in Daly City. However, in March, everything took a turn quickly when we received the news that my dad’s cancer had returned. Just two weeks later, I was unexpectedly laid off from my job. April became a symphony of hospital visits, where hope mingled with misery. Hoping for my dad’s recovery. May’s arrival carried a groan as we bid our last goodbyes to my dad.

The week after that, my fiancé was offered a temporary job in Newport Beach for 4 months. So, I departed from my life in SF, finding solace in the sun-drenched shores of the OC. It felt as if my thoughts sought refuge, ensconced in a clandestine cocoon, grieving amidst the whispering waves. A serendipitous reunion with old friends, companions from a bygone Long Beach era, breathed life into my spirit, rekindling joy in their familiar embrace.

Upon our return to our Daly City “home” in Oct, time seemed to hang suspended since March. Boxes littered the space, frames remained unadorned, and the cadence of wedding plans lagged. Strengthened by the unwavering support of friends and family, I tread the path ahead. I revel in the imminent union with my partner, diligently ticking off each checklist item.

Then, in December, another major change: Karl got a permanent job offer in sunny San Diego, beckoning us to embark on yet another migration, two weeks following our wedding. A concoction of nervousness and elation swirls within me as I stand on the precipice of a new chapter in an unfamiliar city.

Though I yearn for a brighter tomorrow, bidding farewell to 2023 feels like tearing away from an anchor, the last vestige of a year where I still glimpsed my father. Oh, 2023, I shall relinquish you reluctantly, leaving behind claw marks etched in the fabric of time.