Dana and Dave’s Big Adventure

Co-organized

Dana Fredsti and David Fitzgerald are organizing this fundraiser.

Donation protected

After 15 happy years in San Francisco, Dave and I, our cats, dog, and a gazillion books are moving on up!

3 months ago, we were put on notice that our landlord was either putting the house on the market or raising the rent to market value.

The last few years have been increasingly difficult for us to make ends meet and both of us have felt like we've been on a perpetual hamster wheel -- 2019 was rough. Still, we love San Francisco, our home, our friends, and the life we've built here.

So even though we'd both reached burnout, the thought of leaving broke our hearts and we considered trying to stay where we are. But when we found out that the rent raise would be over $1200 more a month, we gave up on that idea.

So, after accepting that we could no longer afford to stay in San Francisco, we took a road trip that ended in a huge leap of faith.

We visited Eureka, a small town in beautiful Humboldt County, 270 miles north, where longtime friends lived. The area boasts very lively literature, arts and culture community. They have many craft breweries, distilleries, wineries, bookstores, and writer's groups.

While there, Dave and I fell in love with a beautiful Victorian home. Through the panic we thought, maybe we can buy this. Maybe we could make our home here.

We thought, if we move here, our friends could come and visit. We could entertain, hold writers retreats, and share our lives.

So, we did the math. We are, however, writers, not mathematicians, so with the help of those who understand such things, we took the leap, cashed in all our assets, and bought our new home.

We will be officially moving in on February 29th. The day that only exists every fourth year. Leap Day!

We are currently exploring job opportunities, sending out resumes, and are excited by some promising leads, as well as the possibilities of what we might be able to do with our lovely new home.

But leaping into a new life is an expensive undertaking, especially with our cats, a dog, and a gazillion books. Don't forget the books!

So we are humbly asking for help to get us all moved safely into our new home. Our home to which you are all invited to visit. One of the soothing balms to the pain of ripping up stakes and saying goodbye to our old life is the thought of our friends and family coming to visit.

We will be using the money for moving expenses, some necessary repairs to the house (leaking skylights and subsequent water damage), and the first month's mortgage to give us time to find jobs if we've not already done so.

If you'd like more details on any of the above, please feel free to contact us. Dave and I, and all our furry babies can't wait to welcome you to our new home!