triumphant return to the west.

After months of deliberation, some tears and some coaxing from family, I decided to move back west. Seven years in Massachusetts definitely treated me well and I cannot wait for every wedding, music festival, birthday, housewarming party, clover food lab event...that will give me reason to visit, but it's nice to try start a new gig in San Francisco.

If you ever decide to move cross country you should know two things:

1. Buying a one way plane ticket is strange.
2. That one way ticket will propel you into a set of events that includes selling off furniture on craigslist, many nights of drinking because it's your "last Monday" in town, and a new friendship with the post office worker because you're "that girl" with all of the boxes that are poorly taped and will inevitably break open in transit.

Luckily, every one of my eleven boxes arrived safely. But I'm not realizing how important it was for me to label them with what the contents are. I just opened the "don't need until winter in New England" box. Whoops. Although right now, it's doesn't really matter because I don't have a place to live. Who knew that every twenty-something also wanted to live in SF in the same neighborhoods I do with the same rent costs? One showing I went to was with fifteen others, and that was the first showing. It was like rushing at a sorority and the girls at the apartment were my potential "bigs." Lets just say I didn't get the place. I find it difficult to be charming with girls whose lives revolve around Entourage.

So I continue to stay with my wonderful friend from high school who has been gracious and very helpful. Hopefully a nice dinner and a bottle of wine will be enough to make it up to her considering I will be broke after my first rent check.
This is what I've found interesting thus far:

• North Beach is pretty cool - great bars, restaurants and very lively in the center. I found a beautiful lookout at Jack Early Park. The sign is a lie though, it's not really a park, just a look out. 
• La Trappe Cafe - great Belgian Bistro/Lounge. Their beer list is a book - I went with the Victory Inception. The waiter had worked previously at B-side Lounge, very cool. 
• The hills are killer, but I'm loving them.
• Off the Grid is an amazing food truck rally that includes different trucks at each rally. I'm lucky to be right around the corner from it on Wednesdays - I now know when I'll buy lunch once a week. 

Week one in California is complete. Let's see what week two holds, hopefully permanent shelter.