The City by the Bay — Arjun Desai

A half-decade later, I am saying farewell to a lovely city: San Francisco.

Nestled by the ocean, enveloped by a cloud: the city enraptured me as a place of possibility and promise.

In late 2014, I still remember driving up the 101 looking at the water kissing the highway — in absolute awe.

So many things to love, but here are a few things that meant so much:

Under the moonlight: Most people I met had a very good day job, but what inspired me was how they spent their night. So many crafty tinkerers, budding musicians, simple chefs, avid bicyclists. For me, I discovered a love of creative dabbling— from singing to drawing.
Spacious skies; mountain majesties: Man, isn’t she beautiful? I marveled at the diversity of SF’s landscape. In one day, you could ski on a snow-capped Heavenly mountain, drink chilled Pinot on a rolling Sonoma hill, and then bask in a sunset on the edge of the Pacific. My favorite spot of all time: The Labyrinth at Lands End.
“Think different”: Uniqueness was the color of the city. I reflect fondly of the experiences I had: Hardly Strictly, Bay to Breakers, Outside Lands, Cherry Blossom Festival, and even the Folsom Street Fair. And I’m grateful that it stretched my perspective.

So, nothing but love to this city that grew me a thousand times over. As Tony Benett sang it so beautifully:

I left my heart in San Francisco
High on a hill, it calls to me
To be where little cable cars climb halfway to the stars
The morning fog may chill the air, I don't care

My love waits there in San Francisco
Above the blue and windy sea
When I come home to you, San Francisco
Your golden sun will shine for me