Obsessed with where to live: If only I could have it all

What are the Walking Shows Around Me?

This weekend I walked for over 12 hours trying to find a new place to live. I would say I was trying to find the perfect place to live but apparently there is no such thing other than my happy place of Hawaii. I walked around the valley sweating buckets  following the commands of a fussy GPS. The Mount Diablo mountains sure look beautiful in the backdrop. I love mountains. I love the fresher air and the ebbs and flows of the mountain curvature. Something soothing that just tales one away.

I looked at places where there was nothing but just apartment complexes spread apart every so many yards. I think those are called commuter towns. They are apparently abandoned during the work day when everyone commutes into the city and they are also abandoned on the weekends when people leave them to go find something to do.

I found a city that has a cute city central square. It has tons of ethnic eateries, pizza places that my son would love and coffee shops. However, the outskirts are apparently growing in terms of gang violence.

I looked at places near a beach but there is no easy way to get off the island. I felt a bit trapped while there. I mean, who would not want to live somewhere where you can look out onto a vast beach. I mean it is northern California thus the beaches are not that great. Nonetheless, it is water sand and sun.

So, I have been to the mountains, beach and suburban nothingness. I have not come across anything remotely 65% perfect.

When I got back from my trek yesterday, I got off the train station (New York lingo for it is BART in San Francisco) and came across a sea of people. One group of people stood out. Many around me starting taking pictures of them. That is something that occurs here a lot in San Francisco. People just stand around seemingly taking pictures of people who are unaware of the picture taking. However, I have traveled many places where I have been able to sit at a cafe and snap pictures of people just doing everyday things wrapped up in their own worlds.

In San Francisco, that is not the case. It appears to me that the vast majority of the people expect to have their picture taken at any time. They sure dress for it. I don’t mean they dress like they are models walking down a runway. That is New York style. Here in San Francisco, the fashion is not that pretty or interesting. Here, they take on the persona of being weird and thus are oftentimes a walking show.  Hence the scenes below.  Yes, in San Fransisco you can try taking photos of the scenery hoping to catch moments of introspection. But realize more often than not, the person will be posing even when they are just seemingly walking to and from their next rally, protest, or art installation.

What is great, though, is catching the non-reactions of those around the wedding group. After a while, as in New York, you just walk about your busy and let the exhibitionists do their thing.

Those reactions, are the ones that are great to capture.

Happy walking about!