I’m currently spending a few days in San Francisco. I live about 100 miles away, and I used to come into the city a couple of times a year, but a combination of pandemic and extra busy schedule has derailed that for a few years. So I’m delighted to have the chance to return.

One of my favorite things to do in SF is walk—hills notwithstanding. And as I was wandering around today, I was thinking about change. Quite a few things have changed in the city over the past few years. Skyrocketing costs for housing and retail rental mean a lot of people and businesses have been driven away, while the surge in working from home means that in the downtown area, a lot of offices and storefronts are empty. Today I found myself missing several bookstores that have disappeared, along with a Japanese stationery shop where I used to spend way too much money.

But not all the changes are bad. An old hotel just down the street has been revamped and made hip, and the second floor boasts a coffee place/bar with wonderful vintage vibes. I met a friend there this morning for brunch. Tonight I had dinner in a wonderful new Japanese restaurant. The place where I often stay—which is in an old building—has reworked the elevator so that it no longer sets a glacial pace.

And some things stay more or less the same. One of my books is set in SF in the 1920s. Through the story, the characters stay at three hotels: the Saint Francis, the Sir Francis Drake, and the Palace. And all three of them remain (although the Sir Francis Drake has been rebranded and is now the Beacon Grand). I took some photos today inside the Palace’s Garden Court, a lovely atrium that’s been here since 1909. The Stockton Tunnel, where some crucial scenes take place in The Maltese Falcon, is still here. So is the Ferry Building, where the clock tower is currently under restoration and inside of which I bought my favorite chocolates.

Change is hard. We mourn what’s lost. But I’m trying to appreciate what remains and enjoy what’s new.

What changes are you dealing with?

***

Kim Fielding is the bestselling author of numerous m/m romance novels, novellas, and short stories. Like Kim herself, her work is eclectic, spanning genres such as contemporary, fantasy, paranormal, and historical. Her stories are set in alternate worlds, in 15th century Bosnia, in modern-day Oregon. Her heroes are hipster architect werewolves, housekeepers, maimed giants, and conflicted graduate students. They’re usually flawed, they often encounter terrible obstacles, but they always find love.

After having migrated back and forth across the western two-thirds of the United States, Kim calls the boring part of California home. She lives there with her family and her day job as a university professor, but escapes as often as possible via car, train, plane, or boat. This may explain why her characters often seem to be in transit as well. She dreams of traveling and writing full-time.

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