In June of 1985, Eileen and I were married, beginning our life together with the usual milestones—a new condo in Pleasanton and a timeshare at Olympic Village Inn near Lake Tahoe. What started as weekend escapes to the mountains gradually became something more meaningful. Each trip to Tahoe left us feeling lighter, calmer, and more at home than we ever expected.

By 1987, the contrast between Bay Area commutes and the quiet rhythm of the Sierra Nevada was impossible to ignore. We didn’t make a dramatic leap—we simply followed what felt right. We left our jobs, packed up our lives, and headed for Truckee with a shared sense of optimism and trust in each other.

Our new home sat high in the Tahoe Donner community, surrounded by tall pines and wide skies. It wasn’t just a change of address; it was a change of pace. The mountains offered space to breathe, time to think, and the promise of building something new together.