If You're Going...To San Francisco...

The past few days have been AMAZING. I feel like California's putting its best food forward to try and convince me to move out here...and it's working. The weather in San Francisco was gorgeous, although I know that's not normal. I ate at some incredible restaurants, did a LOT of walking, spent time with friends, had a breakfast meeting with a friend of a friend to try and figure out a potential job out here, and tried a SoulCycle class. Ian invited me to try one of his classes gratis, and I did, and...I understand why people get so into it. It's an incredible environment, this room full of people all doing the same exercise but also at their own pace, the thumping music, and the inspirational mantras coming from the podium. At my request, Ian created a 90s alt-rock/grunge playlist, which was amazing. I learned a couple of things: I'm terribly uncoordinated, and had trouble with literally every single movement, and that if I ever do it again, I'm going to get seat pads. I'll just leave it at that. 

One of the things I consciously did in San Francisco was ask questions and hear peoples' opinions on what it's actually like to live there. I joked that I was auditioning the city for a starring role in my life, and I think that's pretty accurate. it's easy to see the good parts of a city, especially with that incredible weather, but I wanted to hear the bad as well. The biggest complaint from people is the cost of living, something I'm familiar with, coming from NYC. On the other hand, I feel that people get so much more bang for their buck. I helped Ian move one day (read: brought champagne and watched him unpack boxes), and was taken aback at how much space he had (TWO walk-in closets) for less than I paid for a studio in midtown. He also had a ridiculous view that would fetch nearly twice that anywhere else. You pretty much need a car in the city, so that drives the cost of living up as well, especially the up-front costs with permits, etc. Parking is also a nightmare. Food in general seemed pretty reasonable, compared to the cost of eating in New York. At the end of the day, it's a question of if I can see myself being happy in a place, and I think the answer with regards to San Francisco is a resounding YES. I love the proximity to so many fun places. I love the sense of calm that resonates through the city. I love the abundant and varied food culture. I didn't hit half the places that were suggested to me, loved all the places I went to, and am eager to go try the rest. I loved the people I met, super laid-back and friendly. The jury's still out on SoulCycle, but they do have a number of CrossFit boxes, so I can pick my pain. 

We'll see what happens. As luck would have it, I've been in touch with a few people who MIGHT know of something regarding work that MIGHT be a reason to come back out here, and not just for the wedding of two of my favorite ladies. Who knows? Maybe the permanent vacation needs to become...permanent.