I’ve moved around a lot since my early 20’s, but being back in the Bay during this pandemic has given me some reflection time. Born and bred in the South Bay, when I returned home from college I began to realize how much the area has changed over the years. With the dot com bubble and the subsequent dominance of Google, Apple, Facebook, combined with the rise of startup and VC culture…Silicon Valley and the greater Bay Area is a different place than where I grew up.

Traffic, pollution, and housing prices have all grown exponentially, the homeless population has ballooned out of control, and the influx of thousands of transplants has changed the local demographics and culture. These are the most cited and begrudged changes people mention, and they are very real. These endemic problems are serious challenges and will require a lot of determination and collaboration to solve.

But the Bay is still a very cool place, and indubitably a unique one. People here are accustomed to studying and using data to make decisions—it’s ingrained in the work culture here—and you can see how the region has applied this habit to fighting the pandemic. There's an incredible amount of diversity throughout the entire region; people have been immigrating to San Francisco and its surrounds for more than a 150 years. All the different subregions exhibit their own qualities and vibe: from The City to the East Bay, from the North Bay to the Peninsula to the Valley and the South Bay, one might wonder how each place is so different. People innovate here, and take risks, and work really hard, and produce a lot of value for the world. People here believe in change.

Most of all for me though, the Bay is home. Regardless of where in the world I’ve lived, my center has always been San Jose, California. I’ve experienced a lot of different environments and lifestyles, and I’ve learned that none of them are perfect. Everywhere has pros and cons…but not everywhere is home. I am so incredibly fortunate to be born and raised here. I might not live here forever, who knows, but I do know this pandemic has given me the opportunity to appreciate home. Home is special, and we should work to protect it, to keep our world amazing and beautiful.