Fancy cocktails, silly parking tickets & a whole lotta passion.

Well I’ve officially been living in San Francisco for 12 days!  Technically, I didn’t really move into an apartment till last Friday, but I’m here. It feels like I’ve been here forever at the same time it doesn’t really feel like I’m here at all.

When you entirely uproot your life, I guess a sense of disconnect is normal. After we spend so many years of getting comfortable in one particular situation and living arrangement it’s hard to adjust to a new one.  Hard and yet so easy to do so at the same time that it is almost concerning.

I couldn’t be happier in a place that for me has been like a sacred promise land for months now. San Francisco, a land of greater opportunity.

Anyway, here are some things I’ve observed since being in San Francisco:

• The trend as far as cocktails go tends to be fancier (lots of muddling) and more expensive.
• People LOVE to honk their horns at you.  Even if you’re stopped at a red light, they honk.
• Pedestrians DO NOT cross the street unless the walk signal is displayed, even if there are no cars coming.
• Almost everyone is REALLY excited about what they are doing here.  Passion drives people, dreams are achieved and new seemingly impossible goals are being reached for.
• Almost EVERY restaurant we’ve been to serves good food.
• Fernet is the most popular thing to take a shot of at a bar.
• The possibilities for where you could end up on a Saturday night are endless- that includes Alcatraz- see tomorrow’s post.
• People are really into networking and helping you get connected.
• Despite the horn honking, I have found people to be friendlier than expected.
  

  Double wammy! Turn your wheels.

• In order to park on the side of the street on a hill you have to turn your wheels so that they are aimed at the curb. (I learned this the hard way- twice)
• I have the greatest friends- all over the country.  My friend Mary, who let me crash on her couch and made sure I moved my car on time couldn’t have been more accommodating and helpful in teaching me the tricks of public transportation, where not to walk, etc. And my dear friend Gwen, has been a constant source of support. ALSO- an amazing amount of friends and family who have reached out to make sure I’m okay out here alone and losing my grandmother have really helped me feel loved even across the country.
• Big things are happening around every corner! Just last weekend was the dreamforce tech event, which after I had just seen a ton of people tweet about, got off the Muni, looked up and boom, there it was taking place!
• Running is WAY more of a work out- HILLS.