I am not leaving my heart in San Francisco.

1999. My college roommate Debbie and I took the obligatory Spring Break road trip from Seattle all the way to Tijuana and back. San Francisco was our first stop and love at first sight. I had never felt like that for a city before. The Victorian houses, Chinatown, Lombard Street, Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, even Fisherman's Wharf. It was magical, and I thought the feelings were mutual, she loved me back. When I returned home our room was transformed into a shrine. Posters of the bridge, a framed map of the city, framed pictures of us around town. Smitten. I knew one day we would be together.
2006. A job opportunity arose at our corporate office in Oakland. I immediately applied, got the position and packed my bags. I had been living in Seattle for almost 9 years. I was ready for a change. Seattle and I would remain friends, but we had grown apart.
San Francisco is definitely a different city to visit than it is to inhabit. Our relationship has been tumultuous. Roller coaster. Manic-depressive.
So now the list. The good and the bad, the love and the hate, the discoveries and the things best left hidden.

What I learned and loved in San Francisco

• Yelp How did I ever know where to go before I discovered this website?
• Vietnamese sandwiches (Banh mi). The combination of meat, cilantro, shredded carrots, jalapenos and crusty bread? Divine, especially when it's $3.
• Individually brewed coffee, aka Blue Bottle. Snobby? Maybe.
• Sonoma is way better than Napa.
• The Tenderloin is one of the best neighborhoods to hang out in, don't let anyone tell you different (Bourbon and Branch, Rye, Great American Music Hall, etc).
• I'm not a hipster, but I wish I was.
• Local is better (veggies, crafts, businesses).
• Potrero Hill has the best weather and the most parking of any neighborhood in the city, and what I will miss most about living here.
• Walking is my favorite mode of transportation.
• SCRAP.
• Olive oil ice cream at Picco.
• Oakland.
• Free concerts.
• I still love the Giants after all these years and nothing is better than watching a game with a dish of nachos and a hot dog in AT&T Park. What a view.
• I'm part foodie.

What I learned and disliked in San Francisco

• Horrible drivers. I'm talking the worst I have encountered. No one uses their blinkers, and it's ok to get in the lane next to you even though there's a car (me) right beside you.
• Horrible parkers. Everyone double parks in this city. I actually missed that question on my DMV test because I didn't know it was illegal. Everyone (except me) does it.
• Traffic every day on the Bay Bridge (are you sensing a trend here?).
• Flaky people that ditch out on plans at the last minute.
• Over the top liberalism. "Open minded" but only if you believe what they do.
• Protests for anything and everything. (Prop 8, the war, the Olympic torch, cutting down trees, Anti Israel, budget cuts, blah blah blah)
• Street cleaning.
• The amount of homeless and crazies.
• Fisherman's Wharf sucks.
• Chinatown sucks (especially riding on buses that go through Chinatown).
• It takes FOREVER to get anywhere in this city.
• Rent is a whole paycheck.
• Forget about dating or finding an eligible, single, bearded man that doesn't wear women's jeans.

Ok, so maybe I am leaving a slice of my heart here. These have been three of the hardest years of my life, but I'm coming out stronger. I still met people that I will be friends with forever, had experiences I will never forget, and now bring my own bags when I go to Trader Joe's. You did your job San Francisco.