rogeliobolo

A collection of photographs from my last days in Southern California and my first week in my new home: Oakland. I've dreamed of moving up here since my mother first brought me to visit the city back when I was around 6 or 7 years old. I remember being enamored by the streetlights and the hues of green, red, and yellow in the trees. I'd never seen buildings so tall, and I can distinctly remember being amazed at the notion that a city could be a melting pot for so many different cultures.

That early impression stayed with me. I grew up in a city of immigrants; you could safely assume that any person you encountered would understand what you were saying when you spoke Spanish, even if they didn't speak it themselves. Naturally, I couldn't believe that you could have all these people from different ethnic backgrounds living in tandem.

I'm leaving behind the home and family I've spent the past decade putting together, and yet I cant help but feel a quiet pull towards something different. So this is home for now. My heart is torn up - I wish I could tuck my loved ones into my pocket and bring them along, but for now we'll have to stick to phone calls and sending letters.

I want to thank everyone who has been a part of my journey down in San Diego / Southern California and to all of my loved ones for making it so hard to say goodbye. My heart is full. I can't believe the amount of love I've received in the last few weeks here. It all still feels surreal.

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