Apr 6, 2021
Matt Gonzalez's life could've turned
out very different.
Born in McAllen, Texas, and raised there and across the river in
Reynoso, Tamaulipas (Mexico), Matt recalls spending a lot of time
camping and playing football when he was a kid. His family moved
around a bit—Louisville, Baltimore, New Orleans—before returning to
South Texas, where Matt finished school and played more football.
The sport eventually took a back seat to debate class, and he
decided to go to college at Columbia in New York City.
Matt talks about arriving wide-eyed in New York. He spent four
years getting his undergrad, with summers in Maine and Minnesota
leading camping expeditions. Then, he decided to come to California
for law school.
Check back Thursday for Part 2, when Matt will share more memories
from his roughly 30 years in San Francisco, which he begins to
touch on here.
We recorded this podcast over Zoom in March 2021.
Photography by Michelle Kilfeather