On a Sunday Mission clean up, I couldn't get myself to join folks I knew and I didn't know why. So, I joined two new folks. Perhaps I didn't want to talk much and it felt like you had to talk when you're in a group.
So when I said to the 2 new folks, I lived in San Francisco for 10 years and SF bay area for 15 years, they asked “what made you live in SF for so long?” All I could say is - SF is my home. This is the longest I've lived in a place in my entire life - Libya, Saudi Arabia, India and US.
And it was nice to share a conversation as they studied in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Good memories in the NC triangle - Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill. Thank you Raleigh and North Carolina for being my healing home for 2 years.
But it got me thinking, why did San Francisco feel like home for me. A soul place… a place where I feel alive and I can be my true authentic self. I didn't need to pretend or be something that I'm not.
![[Book] Love Blooms: Flowers around the world](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!PNT5!,w_140,h_140,c_fill,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep,g_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8c3a57df-da7b-423c-9ce9-0c5475aae4de_1920x1080.png)
Reading the I Heart series by Lindsey Kelk, this one's for you - I heart San Francisco.
Love that there is a SF scavenger hunt for the week celebrating all things love and SF.
And after the torrential rain in the weekend, it was good to see the sunshine and get outside to volunteer on Wednesday at the Heron’s Head Park/Eco center for some stub planting with the Golden Gate Bird Alliance - learnt a little bit about types of grass, shrubs and plants that are good for birds. Finally got a walk, 2 hours of sunshine and working with hands in nature. And the rain on Thursday and Friday hopefully helped the plants.
Beautiful to see cherry blossom in bloom. It's early.. It was one of those moments, you are walking focused on picking up trash and you notice the little white petals on the ground… you look up and smile at the beauty of the seasons and spring around the corner.
It was a nice reminder from this artwork and community gallery in the Mission with the butterfly. A reminder to recycle and reuse and not just consume mindlessly.
Deni S. Aguilera
These wings serve as a reminder of impermanence, transitions, and change… life's cycles and the beauty that can still be expressed …
My friend says I'm very independent. Like a free bird.. I remember saying I am a butterfly fluttering from one flower to another.
I miss deep conversations. To feel seen and understood.
What is one thing I can do right now instead?
It's time to imagine the things I can do.
Discovering my love for San Francisco and embracing the ebbs and flows.
Aut viam inveniam aut facium
Find a way or make one
A living breathing microcosm … with its own sparks of joy …
Could you fall in love with a city?
I left my heart in SF felt true when I was traveling and when I came back in 2023 but I didn't know why or how it's possible to feel so connected to a place to call it home..
I love discovering new restaurants and recipes and taste delicacies around the world in San Francisco.
When I need to get out of my head, walking in Japantown is pure bliss from the matcha latte to cheese tart and mochi. Or the Nijiya market and Daiso… I'm excited that I got to make mochi muffins at home aka Chez D 🎼.
Recently, discovered a pasta shop: Pasta supply in the Mission and I got the saffron lemon ricotta ravioli and they're so good and fresh.
And loved walking into Hila Gelato in the Mission and enjoyed the pistachio gelato. Reminded me of Italy and the wonderful love of gelato.
Another new find is Bao in the Mission. The egg custard tart is just perfect - smooth and delicious. Brought back lovely memories of Lisbon, Portugal - San Francisco of Europe… our sister city… Ponte de Abril, cable car, seven hills.. thank you for reminding me of everything I love in San Francisco.
Walking from the Mission from Valencia Street to Market Street to Embarcadero is joy, seeing the new and old buildings interwoven and standing tall. I couldn't remember the last time I walked for more an hour in a street and a neighborhood I didn't walk before.
A part of me was scared to walk the streets. During one of the mission community cleanups, and in one of the dirtier alleys, a guy in a monkey mask walked over while I had two bags of trash in my hands and even though he was laughing said words that is enough to scare me - Put your hands where I can see them.
He said it to a group of guys walking by first and they were laughing and then said the same thing to me. I wasn't sure what I should do but then he said laughing - don't worry babe, I won't hurt you, you're too cute. I didn't know what to do, so I walked over to the other volunteers and then it was time to head back.
Walking by the creative city art gallery and coming across this beautiful painting of a musical note somehow connected with me. That's my signature mark 🎼.
And nothing like a Dandelion hot chocolate that can make any day wonderful. It was lovely connecting with folks that I met for a podcast in person in San Francisco. Loved the idea of foodies having a get together talking about creativity in my favorite place and we all ordered the same thing — European hot chocolate - rich and creamy.
I still love a delicious Mexican horchata.. I got a horchata mix pack from the latina market in the Mission and once I started to boil, it had a resemblance between firni, kheer and payasam. And nothing better than to top it off with some dried rose petals.
And another creation at Chez D 🎼 is Chia Rose .. chia, aloe vera, red dragon fruit, berries, rose petals, elderflower syrup, honey, coconut water.. refreshing..
One of the joys of the city are the events that bring folks together from different communities connected by a thread.
Creative Mornings San Francisco
The last event’s theme in January was journey. I wonder what all our journeys are - crossing paths at different times and places. We believe we are independent beings, but I believe in the power of collective thinking where we bring the best in each other.
You are not traveling alone
Collective versus Independent thinking
Rice fields are flooded to control weeds.. not for the crop
Wheat vs rice fields to cultural impact in north vs south
The purpose of art is to lay bare the questions that have
been hidden by the answers - James Baldwin
Metaphor is finding a way or path into the future.
What metaphors come to mind for the questions that are unknown?
Isn’t it true we don’t know what we don’t know…
And the weekend with downpour rain was enough to keep me at home and not volunteer. I knew I couldn't keep going on as is. I needed change.
I switched up the floral photos on the wall aka gallery and created a new mandala art.
You know the saying.. doing the same thing will not give you a different result. Time to let it go.
So I'm switching things up a bit and see where this takes me this month.
After days of thinking, I finally baked mochi muffins and that was just what I need.
And cooking a hearty meal - pad thai with shrimp and rainbow potato gratin @Chez D
Well-being is a gift to ourselves. We can sit in our spiral of thoughts and worries. Or we can get up and do what we can at this moment in time. One day at a time.
Smile! Breathe…
