It's over, S.F.

I used to have a somewhat romantic relationship with San Francisco.  I can remember arriving to the city, off the Bay Bridge and into the darkened streets.  The buildings loomed and crowded out the sun and there was a melee of cars, people and muni-wires crisscrossing the streets.  It was chaotic for my mellow foothills-trained brain to make sense of.  It was chaotic and magical.  So very different from our hometown, it was like entering another world.  I felt like I didn't know how to communicate with these people.  They were abrasive, impassioned and abrupt.  Some walked around with faces toward their feet, moving desperately.  Others meandered, imploring for interaction, speaking to whomever.

In Berkeley today, outside of Nobolom Bakery

The entire experience would leave me shaken and strangely yearning for more- it was exciting!

Fast forward to today.  Everything is the same save for the "yearning for more" part.  Oh, and now I am charged with driving the streets myself.  Erg.

Raining today in S.F.

I am not longer in love with San Francisco.  The past three times have left me stressed and disappointed.  Restaurants that get great yelp reviews turn out to be lacking in every way: mediocre food, stuffed into a small space down a grungy street with grungy people hanging around outside.  The metered parking keeps me in a panic about the number of minutes that have passed and the location of my next quarter fix.  We arrived a few minutes late to our car and were the lucky recipients of not only a parking ticket, but a $100+ ticket for no front license plate.  I can hardly complain, we were guilty of both charges.  It did add a special sprinkling of irritation of which there was already plenty.  Oh, and let's not forget the time I stepped in bum poo.

E got a kick out of this

Add to this the spastic drivers (left turn is yield on green, where do you want me to go?!?), the rotten smell every few blocks, and the 10 minute drive it takes to get 2 miles and we're looking at a break up.  I've outgrown you S.F.  I see you through my 30 year old, married, Mommy eyes and I'm not buying.

Upside?  We bought the BMW we came to see.  Cool, huh?