I look out my new bedroom window onto a hillside of twinkling yellow lights. The branches of several scrawny pine trees are silhouetted against the last remnants of hazy sunset light beyond the ocean.
An hour ago my new roommate Dave took me to the nearby beach, where a fifteen minute hike down an iceplant-covered hill opened out to pristine sand and an orange sun hovering over the waves. We discovered a piece of a 100 year old shipwreck beached on the sand - just five feet of connected wooden planks with rusted hooks still attached.
For those of you who don't know, two days ago I moved to San Francisco to work as an editorial intern at Chronicle Books, according to their website: "One of the most admired and respected publishing companies in the U.S." What's more, their mission statement says they are "inspired by the enduring magic and importance of books." I too am inspired by the enduring magic and importance of books. Brilliant. This will work out.
Tomorrow is my first day at Chronicle Books, so although I should have been unpacking, I've been exploring the city with a certain English bloke the last couple days. I'm still learning the various "neighborhoods" of San Francisco, but today I managed the BART (which will most likely be my transportation to and from work) and fell in love with the deliciousness which is the Ferry Building Marketplace. Gelato! Bread! Cheese!
"Mmm...fancy a nice slice of Wensleydale, Gromit?"
Leaving San Luis Obispo was one of the saddest moves I've ever had to make. Over the last four years I've become more confident, happy, and made better friends than I ever have before. As Cogsworth, the enchanted clock from "Beauty and the Beast," would say, "If it ain't Baroque, don't fix it," but it was time to move on from that chapter of my life. As much as I've loved living in San Luis Obispo, there are other things I have to learn about life and wider venues to explore. And I think San Francisco is just the town to do so.
