Reasons I Love SF: Woodside, Who Knew?

Woodside is a little town just next door to where my office is. And, while I spent some time there a few years ago dog-sitting, it is only since I started my job a year and a half ago that I've started to explore all that the super cute haven has to offer.

First off, tucked into the hills along Skyline Boulevard, it has Stillheart. Once called Skylonda, or something along those lines, this new age-y institute is a great spot for taking a weekend or week night retreat at a reasonable price. The grounds are beautiful, with hiking paths, native plants, a pool and sauna, and sprawling landscapes.

Second, there are some pretty great restaurants for only having a handful of options... Alice's at the top of Woodside Road and Skyline Boulevard, allows you to sit outside, check out the cyclists of all kinds, AND get breakfast for lunch. Who doesn't like breakfast for lunch?! Mountain House, going in the other direction on Skyline, doesn't look like much but, offers high quality fine dining in the midst of BIG trees. Plus, they have some really good Prosecco...

Last, the people are just so nice. For being so close to the heart of Silicon Valley madness and the Stanford brain-trust, the people feel like they are straight out of a town hundreds of miles away. It seems strange that one could just drive 20 minutes up a hill and feel like they are so far removed from the hub-bub but, it happened....

Reasons I Love SF: Future-focused

It's probably about that time that these reasons start to sound repetitive or redundant. I know that a month or so ago, I already wrote about how unique San Franciscans tend to be. But that being said, in the past few weeks, I've encountered some really interesting people with fascinating jobs and interests. This is common so, I thought I'd blog about it.

A few weeks ago, I went to lunch with an entrepreneurial spirit who leads an organization that makes 24-hour films of people representing "roughly the humanity of the world". He also happens to be affiliated with an organization called the Institute for the Future (IFTF). A week later, he joined IFTF and did a presentation for staff in the program with whom I work. And, it was pretty fascinating. Looking into the future just 10 years is sort of mind-blowing and I can't believe that there are organizations out there that study what is likely to happen in the future and share their findings, recommendations and forecasts. Before the day-long seminar I attended, future thinking was not something I had come into contact with, aside from the standard business-dictated strategic planning gambit. Now, I'd like to learn more; especially about health and well-being and the role bacteria will play in it, how the economic situation around the world might shift, and how philanthropy might change.

Reasons I Love SF: Generosity

As I spend time looking for jobs in philanthropy or the social sector in Los Angeles, and as the holidays continue, I regularly ponder over the fact that people in San Francisco are givers. At least in my circle. We give our time and money to causes that are designed to improve our communities or the world. We share cars and baby gear and books. In the interest of enhancing what we've learned through our own experiences or making sure our younger co-workers don't have to go through the same hells we've been through, we talk a lot about breaking down silos and we share our knowledge. All things that tend to make me think that people in San Francisco are innately generous.

This belief has been especially enhanced by people I've seen, heard or read lately that live here or at least nearby. For example, yesterday I rode the N Judah Muni to the Renegade Craft Fair and in the 25 minute ride downtown, I witnessed not less than five occurrences of people offering their seats to the elder patrons on-board. On my way back home, I witnessed a guy leaping after someone getting off the train to ensure that whatever the disembarker had dropped did not get left behind. Of course, people embracing the Christmas Spirit does not mean that they are innately generous, I know.

But, you may remember a recent mention of 2,500 people giving enough money to raise $11,600 for Make a Wish at a concert. Of course, I'm sure everyone didn't give but, I gave $3, my companion gave $3 and according to the Conductor, if everyone who was there gave $3 we would have raised $7,500. So, that means that the people who donated gave more than $3. Similarly, at a fundraiser that I participated in earlier this season, we only expected 30 attendees to an event that ended up being sold out and where we raised over $5,000 from women and men who believe in reproductive justice.

But, it's not all about donating money to good causes or giving up a seat on a bus. When I say San Francisco is generous, I'm  talking about the neighbor in SOMA who asked someone selling Street Sheet outside of Whole Foods how he was doing and if he had been warm enough as late, since it had been raining. I'm talking about friends and family who posted and rallied behind a woman who had been having a very rough month, getting mugged for her iPhone and denied twice by book publishers. "Keep on truckin'" one Facebooker posted in response. And, I'm talking about the time I lost my wallet in the Mission and someone went through the trouble to contact me using some serious detective powers.

San Francisco is not the only generous place on the planet. I've lived in Wisconsin, where people actually smile and say hi to strangers daily. But, for a city, it certainly feels like its more generous than others. And, for a city in a country that is becoming more generous to the planet it dwells on every day, teaching its kids more and more about giving back, and trying to get back to what made the country great in the first place, it seems that San Francisco may be a leader in all these regards.

Ready Set... Go?

It is time to start again....

This morning, as I walked home from Stow Lake, after a multi-month long hiatus from walking through Golden Gate Park, I happily reflected on how much change this new year has already brought my way. Usually, I make an annual plan with a dear friend, create a collage based on the plan, write out all of my successes from the past year, and make a bunch of promises to myself that I break within weeks. This year it all seemed unnecessary.  Instead my October trip to India brought to light what I needed to change and my new job at a huge, prestigious foundation starkly highlighted my successes. However, there is an unanswered question...

Upon returning from the Taj Mahal and the foothills of the Himalayas, I knew I needed to change jobs and in the process, I hoped to move away from San Francisco. It is something I've threatened to do since 2009. The sun that soaked my skin daily in Delhi was what I wanted more of, that was clear. The fog of last summer was something I wanted to leave behind. And yet, despite two weeks enjoying the unseasonably warm January days in the Bay Area and commuting 40 minutes to an hour to my magnificent job (in my cute new bright blue Mini Cooper), I am still undecided on my living arrangement.

Before I started spending time in the Stanford area, I vowed to move to Palo Alto or Menlo Park in Spring. I imagined walking along tree-lined University Avenue and meeting lots of male suitors at Barnes & Noble... My parents were over-joyed and promised themselves to visit me more frequently in the towns that offer more or easier parking than San Francisco. But, after several conversations with co-workers that live in both the family-friendly Peninsula and quirky San Francisco, an evening perusing the shelves in a calm Trader Joe's where the only people of color were those who worked there, and a lunch-hour being stared at by a young Sephora employee at Stanford Shopping Centre because I admitted that my purse was a knock-off of the Berkin bag, I am conflicted.

Of course, my circumstances are different. My week days are spent in the sun-belt of the Peninsula. My lease is up in April when I have the opportunity to move to Potrero Hill or Bernal Heights, two neighborhoods notoriously known for the sun that shines there (and close to the 101 and 280 freeways). And so, there is opportunity. Let's see what happens...

Enjoy Life