San Francisco
and the importance of sunshine.
Happy Friday friends, and Shabbat Shalom.
This week’s weather has been absolutely beautiful. The temperature is mild and the daffodils in our yard are blooming. I was so excited to see flowers in bloom that I went out and snipped a few in the rain last week to arrange in a vase. Today I wondered what it look like if I broke my usual morning routine. What if I actually spent a few minutes in the sun before forcing myself to squirrel away into my windowless office?
The spring-like weather inspired a craving for a smoothie, so I drove off my normal route to a market close to my home. The sun was so inviting that I decided to first stop and grab an americano from Unido, a favorite Panamanian coffee shop, and wound up sitting at a table and gaining inspirational downloads for this newsletter edition. The warmth on my skin just felt too good. I (dare I say we?) really underestimate how much of this I (we) should be doing every single day. I can feel my cells dancing in my body. I am regulating. Eventually I’d get up and get to work, but that moment was, in my opinion, what life is really about. This morning shake up is the “balance” or better, “harmony” as Alex Elle beautifully puts it. How do we choose to spend each micro moment of our days? Because those things are what build up to become our true identity. It’s what contributes to what we ultimately end up becoming. And I want to identify as sun-kissed and joyful. So there I sat for a while.
A few weeks ago, I ended up in San Francisco for work, and since SF is a city I had never visited, I made sure to buffer our brand summit with a couple of days on either side for wandering. On my first day there I awoke to the sun rising across my window, and thanks to my East Coast jet lag, I got up quickly, moving to the chaise lounge to curl up with an in-room espresso, and took in the soft colors of dawn that unveiled a new (to me) cityscape. There’s the bay! And the mountains! I always forget how much I love the landscape of the West. It’s always very alluring.
Mid-morning, my LA-counterpart Jennie and I decided to explore together. We guided our route via a few vintage shops that were recommended to us by a SF local, and quickly learned that the entire city is (for real) made up of some serious hills. And I know we all know this—it’s San Francisco and this is its most known trait. It’s what shows up in any movie or show featuring the city (for me it’s The Princess Diaries trolley and stick shift car scene), but it doesn’t hit the same until your face is essentially inches away from the sidewalk due to the vertical angle, and every walk essentially feels like climbing a never-ending staircase.
We wandered towards the Painted Ladies and afterwards asked two women sitting on a park bench for directions to the shopping nearby. Jennie and I like to explore the layers of the city through bakeries and independent boutiques. It’s why we get along so well. One of the gals offered directions. She shielded her eyes from the high noon sun, her rosy freckled cheeks and radiant 20-something skin glowed from this (likely) daily habit of taking her mason jarred salad lunch to eat leisurely in the park. Her shoulders were bronzed, something that almost immediately made me slightly envious. She was so kind and effervescent. What a mood booster it must be to sit in a park and take in the sunshine like this? (Is this why California seems outwardly friendlier?)
Overall, SF was an unexpected delight. The city is layered with contradictions and 90’s nostalgia and what seems like glimpses into a strange yet potential future timeline for some American cities. Like many places, San Francisco was hit hard by the pandemic and because of its incredibly strong industry identity in tech, has continued to endure unique hardships post crisis.
There’s something about this city that draws you in. It feels somewhat masculine on the surface—tattoos and a cheeseburger with a no-frills drink. Yet underneath lies a subtle and unexpected beauty that all at once takes your breath away. These glimpses in and out of the layers of distinct realities makes up what really is the city of San Francisco. Like seeing the Golden Gate Bridge for the first time, tucked into the wild landscape of the blue waters and golden-crested hills, and then again from a different angle, framing the skyline on the beach. And the swimmers who do laps in the bay on a late-January day, and the surfers who walked by our breakfast spot one morning in Birkenstocks and wetsuits. San Francisco is the beautiful haze of the morning light pushing through the folds of thick fog and the crests in the foamy ocean, receding to leave behind sparkling remnants on the beige sands. It’s the climbing pastel houses and the line we stood in for both tacos and dim sum, and the two glasses of natural wine we enjoyed in a minimally decorated Turkish spot.
There are true layers to this city—sort of like a shell that if you take the time to open, will show you its sweet and quirky insides.
-I am so inspired by the style of The Bay. There’s an unapologetic way of dressing, and I found myself wanting to wear more color, more patterns—more everything. The city asks you to please be you.
-BOOK STORES. so many good ones, all with unique character. Wander and see what you find.
-I enjoyed the easy access to nature. Dolores Park was everything I hoped it would be, and we frolicked in several other vibrant green areas around the city. We hiked a path that lead us past the Sutro Baths (I’m sure I’m not the first one to think this, but I sort of want to take on the project of resurrecting these baths and making them a community-facing healing resort?!?) We followed the coastline and got some incredible views of the Golden Gate Bridge against the ocean. We walked down towards China Beach afterwards and dreamt about what it would feel like to sip coffee in one of the palatial houses here with a view of the water.
-I loved the Outer Sunset neighborhood. We had a leisurely breakfast at Outerlands—I had a mushroom goat cheese toast with a cappuccino. Dan and I shared a sticky bun for dessert before shopping the General Store and Mollusk Surf Shop, both of which are only a few blocks away. My favorite part of this neighborhood is the accessibility to the ocean. We climbed over the dunes and walked along the shore watching surfers catch waves and dogs happily trot alongside their owners. I wanted to take off my clothes and run into the ocean so badly, but I was wearing tights and it felt like a decision I’d likely regret later.
-Good Luck Dim Sum. This was such a fun stop. We caught the line right before closing and ordered way too much for two people. But we ate it all, and it was all delicious. In front of us in the line was a mum picking up dim sum as a surprise treat for her children after sports practice. It was great to feel like we were experiencing a neighborhood staple.
-Take the trolley! It’s a blast!
-Don’t miss Heath Newsstand. I hope one day DC opens something like this (how it doesn’t already exist in our nation’s capital boggles my mind). I can spend an inordinate amount of time in stores like these.
-I listened to this podcast this week about San Francisco that Dan sent me. It’s quite thought-provoking.