Readers Share Their Last ‘Normal’ Moments Before the Bay Shut Down
By: Clara Hogan
Tags: Bay Area, Shelter In Place, Pandemic, San Francisco, Life

A year ago, our lives changed in small ways and major ways when the pandemic became real to us and the Bay Area shut down. But before it did, in those first couple months of 2020, we were living our old “normal lives” — going to birthday parties, dancing at weddings, riding public transit, going to the office, and getting schwasted with friends at a bar.

In honor of the one-year anniversary of shelter in place, we asked readers to scroll back through their Google Photos and iPhones and send in pictures of their last “normal” moments, as well as share how it feels to look back at that time and how much has changed.

Here’s what they sent.

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World travel for a birthday celebration

This time last year my partner flew in from London for my birthday. We mostly stopped by various iconic sights of the city and drank every fancy coffee we could find, but at some point we wandered into the Sandbox, a VR game venue near my office. We played a zombie game that I was not prepared for; the designers had a field day watching our playthrough. He’d been hanging out with me for about two weeks by then, and by the end of that weekend we were worried he wouldn’t be able to get home due to travel restrictions.

—Aubrie Johnson

Working from coffee shops

“There seems to be a common theme in that I was always in coffee shops doing work. I don’t even remember the last time I spent hours at a cafe finishing assignments or procrastinating on work by people watching. There is something about having people around you in a coworking-type setting with a cup of coffee that brought me comfort. Looking back now, I miss it a lot. I underestimated how much I needed those moments to get away and get a sense of human connection.”

—Aida Agayeva

Karaoke, all night

Dragon Gate Lounge, Oakland, February 2020

I was yelling my lungs out at karaoke and unintentionally matching the wall with my outfit. My friends and I still talk about how this was our last real social gathering before shelter in place, and we lament that karaoke will probably be one of the last activities to return after the pandemic.

—Margot Seeto

‘Hamilton’ or bust

A year ago today, I attended what would be the final showing of Hamilton at the Orpheum. It was a matinee that was technically allowed to go on less than an hour after Mayor Breed halted city events of 1,000 people or more. Just me and 1,000 folks with a median age of about 65. I’ll never forget how anxious the actors were as they attempted to perform a historical piece in the middle of a seismic moment. Over those four hours, everything outside of the theater started to get pretty real. I don’t have a photo of anything but my look of terror on the BART ride home.

— Emily Larsen

Eating at a restaurant

One week before San Francisco’s shelter in place, I was enjoying a meal at Louis’, gazing out its panoramic windows, and admiring the incredible view, unaware that my first visit to the cliffside restaurant would also be my last. In that moment, though, with a burger in hand and the Sutro Baths in sight, all was well. I do wish I could go back.

—Joey Yee

Moving in together

I was moving in with my boyfriend — the first partner I have ever lived with. We had no idea that our little honeymoon cove was about to become a nuclear bunker. I look back on these photos and see how happy I am. I have no idea how much things are about to change. Lockdown was announced for our county that following Wednesday, I think. I’m happy to say we’re doing pretty good, in a time when many relationships are being severely exposure tested. We have learned a lot about patience, communication, and boundaries. But I wonder how different our relationship would be if today, right after these photos were taken, we weren’t effectively locked up together; if our relationship could have proceeded like “normal”; if we were the people we came home to each night, instead of cellmates who never left each other’s side.

—Diana Helmuth

A carousel ride

My dad and I took my son to Tilden Park in late February to the Little Farm and the merry-go-round for the first time. It was mellow and sweet, a sunny day enjoying local adventures, and everyone is blissfully unaware of what was to come. Watching this video, the awed looked on my son’s face is precious. It makes me feel grateful we had that experience and also sad since we can’t just be with other people and kids riding the fun wave like that yet.

— Samantha Durbin

Birthday rager