Saturday, January 17, 2015

Two Thousand Fifteen

I've lived in the Bay Area for six months now.

That seems unreal to me! I find myself telling people, "I just moved here!" but then realizing that it's not true. I've been here for a half of a year all ready. And I've observed some things, none without bias, that I may help recap the last few weeks since the previous post.


1.) It's beautiful. Unbelievably beautiful. The weather, the water, the classic "San Francisco sites". It doesn't get old driving over the gorgeous red bridge (and singing the Full House song in your head... every time) It's pretty great to go to the beach on Christmas Day (which we did). It's breathtaking to sit on the top of Twin Peaks and watch the sunset (which looked like a Patagonia commercial). I understand why people want to live here. I'm so glad that I have the opportunity to do so.
2.) It's expensive. Outrageously expensive. We went out on a date this past week & splurged a bit (as in we didn't go to In-N-Out this time), and when the check came, we couldn't help but laugh. In Blacksburg, a nice date was out to Lefty's for dinner (still one of our favorites!) and maybe a $30 check with tip included. Here? You can double that and then add some more. This is why we try hard to get creative with cheap dates and celebrate when coupon codes are involved (Thank you, RedBox).
3.) The food.  I know that I just said it is expensive, but friends, you don't even understand how good it is. All of it! We haven't had a bad meal in the past six months, and my enlarged hips don't lie about that.  We all ready have favorites, not limited to the following: Sol Food, a mouth-watering puerto rican restaurant in San Rafael; Dipsea Cafe, a way more expensive version of Gillies and with bacon; Ghirardelli Square, because we love ice cream and chocolate; and all the coffee everywhere.
4.) The weather. Love and warm hugs to all my friends freezing in the arctic tundra of winter right now, but without reserve, I do not miss it a single bit. I can't even fathom what below freezing temperatures feel like anymore, when just a year ago we were huddled in our Blacksburg apartment as the inside of our windows had frost on them due to the -18 degree wind chill. No way, José. I'm good with a light jacket on 50 degree "winter" day.
5.) It's expensive.  Did I mention that?
6.) There are terrible drivers everywhere. I mean truly terrible, and I learned to drive in South Florida and Northern Virginia: the two extremes of slow, old people who can't see over the wheel and crazed businessmen who must-get-to-the-Pentagon-immediately. Californians are worse. I don't know what it is that makes you take a full five minutes to comprehend the fact that a merge situation is inevitable. I also don't know why you refuse to turn on your blinker and then gradually change lanes and slam on your brakes. My assumption is a combination of arrogance and cell phones. I can't tell you how many times I've honked my horn because the doofus in front of me is looking down to fiddle on the phone! Let's just say that my road rage has exponentially increased since July.
7.) In-N-Out is beyond amazing. 
8.) Surely you're no longer paying attention to this list... eight items is just way too many.


There are a few other things I know, like the fact that my husband is not only charming and handsome, but also very smart and hard working. Taking on five masters-level classes this past semester, he managed to crush out a 3.7 GPA. Dats my Boo.






                                   





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