Seis Meses

As of yesterday, I have been calling San Francisco home for a total of six months. But only recently, has it started to feel like it. That's not to say that my time out here thus far hasn't been great. It's paralleled the landscape, though, that's for sure!

Below is a list of 50 Phase Five Favs Thus Far...

1. The San Francisco City and County Limit sign on the Bay Bridge.
2. The view of the city from my roof.
3. The view of the Golden Gate Bridge from my roof.
4. The view of the city from the Golden Gate Bridge.
5. The view of the city from a boat out on the Bay.
6. The view of Alcatraz from my office.
7. The chimes of Grace Cathedral around the corner.
8. The scent of sourdough bread cooking down at Boudin in Fisherman's Wharf.
9. The crooning of sea lions at Pier 39.
10. The people who practice Tai Chi on Washington Square every morning.
11. The scary sounds emanating from the streets on which the cable cars run.
12. The zzzzzzzmmmmm sound of the emission-free, powered-by-electricity buses.
13. Commuting to work by foot.
14. The names of streets stamped into sidewalk corners.
15. The street signs written in English and Chinese. And Japanese.
16. The jam-packed sidewalks at all times of day in Chinatown.
17. The street fairs each neighborhood hosts throughout the year.
18. The celebration of Fleet Week in October.
    
19. The miles of running trails along Crissy Field and the Presidio. And Golden Gate Park and the Great Highway.
20. The Lyon Street stairs.
21. The never-ending search for the BEST SF style row-home.
    
22. The Union Square power-shopping.
23. The Haight Street bargain-shopping.
24. The Gap at the corner of Haight-Ashbury. (Kidding...)
    
25. The People Watching in the Haight. And in the Mission.
26. The funky Bikram Yoga instructors at Funky Door Yoga.
27. The fact that Funky Door distributed prizes on Valentine's Day donated by Good Vibrations and requiring AA batteries. (I didn't win...)
    
28. The big ass peppers at the Ferry Building Farmer’s Market each Saturday.
29. The $15 bikini waxes at all the Chinese salons.
30. The $8 manicures and $16 pedicures at those same salons.
31. The It's It icecream sandwich.
32. The eerie feeling I get when I sit on my roof as the fog rolls over the city.
33. The killer buns of steel I have developed after running and walking these mountainous hills for 6 months.
34. The smells of pot on the most unlikely streets. (It's super weird.)
    
35. The inexpensive bouquets of flowers on every corner.
36. The fact that I am disappointed when a salad or sandwich doesn't have avocado on it.
37. The inexpensive California wines.
38. The plethora of laundromats - there's one on every corner!
39. The use of the word, "Hella."
40. The hiking trails on Mt. Tam. And Tennessee Valley.
41. The cozy hiking rest spots at Stinson Beach.
42. The yummy food at The Crepe House.
43. The yummy food at Beetlenut.
44. Every coffee shop on every block of Polk Street.
    
45. The small connections you make with everyone out here.
46. The, "That's awesome!" response to my, "No, I moved here by myself."
    
47. The subsequent exchanges of cross country driving treks with new friends.
    
48. The feeling I get when I stand on my roof and say to myself, "I did it!"
    
49. The moments when I wish everyone I know would move to San Francisco.
50. The moments when I realize that even though they all won't, I'll still be GREAT out here.