Dottie

In the middle of Jones Street
The Tenderloin
Friday afternoon

***

My adulthood so far has been…eventful.

I joined the Virginia Army National Guard right out of high school in 2000.

I was deployed on September 11 for homeland security.

At 21, I was in Iraq as a prison guard (No. Not there.)

At 23, I was engaged and living in Washington, DC. By then, I had worked in the Pentagon and was working at an anti-tobacco non-profit.

Right before my 25th birthday, I broke up with my fiance and had no clue what to do next in my life.  So I did the best thing ever:  go on a much needed vacation.

I went to San Francisco for a week to relax and unwind.  I left knowing that this is where I needed to be. The people were fantastic, the food was wonderful, and there was always something interesting going on.  I even hiked.  Dottie doesn’t hike.  But I loved it.  I kept telling myself towards the end of my visit, “This could be my everyday”.

I called my dad from baggage claim when I arrived back at DCA and let him know that I was thinking about moving to California.  He took it a lot better than expected…he just said that as long as I thought it out and as I long as I was happy, he would be happy.

Two months later, I packed up all of my clothes in two large cases and a duffle bag, and headed West.  This was the definition of a fresh start…moving away from my family, my friends and a job I loved.  But I was happy.

I’ve been in San Francisco for 2 1/2 years now.  I don’t think there is another city that is more perfect for me.

***

You can see the rest of Dottie’s photo shoot here.

Dottie’s website:  www.dottielouphotography.com
Her Etsy store:  dottiebobottie.etsy.com
Her Twitter:  @ohdottie