I'll Always Love My City By the Bay

I originally wrote this in August 2020, as I prepared to say goodbye to San Francisco after nearly 20 years in California. The Bay Area was where I found myself, built CMD and created a life I loved. Reading these words now brings back just how difficult it was to leave, and how much of my heart still lives there.

To my friends, family, customers, neighbors and colleagues:

I'd like to share an exciting announcement: CMD is relocating to the East Coast!

With a heavy heart, I'm sharing with you that I've made the challenging decision to close my SF Shop at the end of September. The Bay Area will always be the place that helped me define myself as a person.

Nearly 20 Years in San Francisco

Nearly 20 years ago, I packed up a suitcase and headed to San Francisco with a few hundred bucks in my bank account. I was so young, 22, and filled with the hope that I could carve my own path far away from my family and the comforts that came with the familiarity of my surroundings.

I went to what felt like a far-off land, and I still remember the first smells of Northern California: fragrant eucalyptus drenched in salty ocean air. As I flew West, I said to my mom, "Don't worry, I'll be back in a couple of years." In my mind, I thought it would be a short excursion and a way to dip my toes into the cold, unfamiliar waters of independence.

There was a way that San Francisco sparkled, and the colorful people were inspiring. I felt so welcomed and accepted by this diverse community. From the beginning, I threw myself into the discomfort of change as I looked to define myself and my path.

I could summarize those nearly 20 years as some of the most freeing and wild times of my life. They were invigorating and challenging, exceptional and exciting, and even devastating at times. I built the foundation of a beautiful business there, and along the way I found strong, supportive people who helped me continue on this journey.

Why I Was Ready to Come Home

City life had been memorable, but I was ready to slow things down. I wanted to create a home, build a garden and be close to my beloved family again. I wanted to savor time with my niece and nephew and watch them grow, something that was pretty difficult to do from 3,000 miles away.

I looked forward to more visits with my amazing 103-year-old Gram and quiet chats with her on the back porch while we watched the birds. I couldn't wait for sweet Sunday dinners with my family. I also wanted to work more closely with my New York team as we embarked on the next phase of CMD.

So Long, San Francisco

Although I found comfort in the idea of "going back home," I knew there would always be a warm place in my heart for San Francisco. Goodbye to the beautiful city that helped me define myself. I had so much love for my Bay Area friends who had become family, and I knew I'd hold them close to my heart when I traveled East.

So long to winding roads and golden skies, thick fog and glistening sunshine. Goodbye to the chaos of city living smattered with peaceful parks and city hikes. I'd miss the wacky people who made San Francisco such a weird and wonderful place, the best food and the coldest summers, the littered streets and pristine parks, the perfect little grocery stores and flashy Victorians.

I wouldn't be the first person to leave my heart in San Francisco.

A New Home for CMD in Asbury Park

There was one more exciting thing to share. I had found a new home for The CMD Shop in Asbury Park, New Jersey, just a few miles from where I grew up. I'd be close to the Atlantic again, closer to my family and closer to our production team in New York.

At the time, I had no idea exactly what that new chapter would look like. Today, Asbury Park is home. It's where I design, meet with clients and have conversations about Reconstruction, custom projects, Special Occasion jewelry and pieces people will live in for years. Our small team continues to make CMD jewelry by hand in Upstate New York, and San Francisco continues to be an enormous part of the story that brought us here.

I still return to the Bay Area for pop-ups and visits, which makes me especially happy. I get to come back to a place I love while continuing to build the life and business that eventually brought me home.

Reading my original words all these years later, I can still feel how hard that goodbye was. Tears were in my eyes and my heart was aching, but underneath all of that sadness was the beginning of something I couldn't see yet.

So long, San Francisco. I'll always love you.

With a little piece of my heart forever out West,
Colleen

© Colleen Mauer Designs. All rights reserved.
Published: August 19, 2020
Updated: August 19, 2026