One Year, Ten Days

[Image from Ork Posters]

That's exactly how long I've lived in San Francisco now.  It's strange: on one hand, I feel like this year passed so quickly; on the other hand, I feel like I've been away from Phoenix for so long.  Time is like that, I guess.

I've been thinking about all of the changes in my life since I moved here.  Most have been good, with a few harder parts I've had to adjust to.  I love living in a big city with so much music, culture, art, and wonderful parks.  I love not having to rely on a car very much at all.  I can go weeks without driving but still get where I need to go using public transit and by walking.  I love the walking part of this city--almost everything is walkable, and being on foot shows you things you'd never see from a car window.  Interesting details on Victorian houses, strange and unique plants sprouting in windowboxes, people relaxing on their front stoops.

I appreciate warm, sunny days much more than I ever could in Phoenix.  I always loved spring in Phoenix, but let's face it--it's not much different than summer in Phoenix, just somewhat cooler.  Here, the seasons are still somewhat mystifying to me.  What is this fog that blankets the city in summer?!  Who knew September and October could be the most beautiful months of the year, with long days, yellow sun, and gentle sea breezes?  Can I get used to a city that sees much of its rainfall in December, January, and February, including a couple of 10-day stretches of clouds and rain? [I had a hard time with those.]  This city, with its microclimates and proximity to the ocean, has taught me to never be without a scarf and an umbrella.  It has also taught me to savor each warm, sunny day that comes my way, soaking them up in the park or sitting outside at a cafe.  On days like these, you can see the entire city change; suddenly everyone is outside, enjoying it, lingering in it, instead of simply hurrying from destination to destination.

Living in the second most dense city in the United States has been an adjustment, especially coming from a place where lots of personal space is a given (even in downtown Phoenix).  I've had to come to terms with having upstairs neighbors who often appear to enter their apartment and promptly drop everything they're carrying directly onto the floor above my bed.  Countless times Cole and I have been subjected to other peoples' conversations on the street below our apartment, usually late at night after the bars have closed.  On the bus, I've grown accustomed to being sandwiched between other people on the way to and from work.  Walking around the Financial District during the day, it's usually in a group of people all heading in different directions.  It's been something to get used to, and sometimes it makes me tired.  But if I didn't live in a densely populated area with a lot going on around me, chances are that the day I locked myself out of the apartment last year, I wouldn't have been exposed to genuine kindness from Sam, the man who runs the store on our corner.  This man let me, a complete stranger, use his cell phone, gave me $20 for a cab ride, and trusted that I would return and repay him.  We've been buying what we can from him ever since.  And there's no denying that we love living just down the street from so many great restaurants, coffee shops, boutiques, and bars.  Almost everything you need is within walking distance and does not have to be purchased from a corporate, big box store.

Cole and I almost never have to go to the grocery store due to the proliferation of excellent farmer's markets around the city.  Our favorite, the Alemany market, has been operating in the same Bernal Heights location since the 1940s.  It's huge, with an enormous selection of fresh fruit and vegetables, flowers, and homemade foods.  We buy almost all of our produce locally now, as well as eggs and baked goods.  We only rely on the grocery store for canned goods and dairy products.  The locally-grown produce tastes so much different than what you buy in stores and is usually cheaper and organic.  We compost now, too.  Every resident was given a free compost bin from the city and it's now mandatory.  The great majority of the waste we generate each week is either compostables or recyclables, with very little going in the sinister black landfill cart.

I won't lie:  it's been hard being away from family and friends back in Phoenix, 800 miles away.  But not only do I not take those people for granted anymore, I truly appreciate the new friends we've made here. 

More than anything, I have loved living in this city because I feel like I fit in.  I think I breathed a sigh of relief when we got here, both from a professional and a personal standpoint.  I can be myself, fully, even at my job.  This city is full of progressive people, and most of the people I've met are open-minded and kind, regardless of their politics.  Equality is an overarching theme here and I think that this city consistently moves forward with its policies.  I like living in a place that is constantly a leader in environmental and social ideas.  I want to raise children here because of all they'd be exposed to and because I believe that people grow by being exposed to new ideas and new people.  That's one of the best things about this city: it's in a constant state of flux, the new is mixed in with the old, and its residents have to change with it.

San Francisco is my home now.