Angelika This year, I am particularly late with my Christmas newsletter. You might already be sitting under the Christmas tree. Exactly 20 years ago, we moved to the USA, to San Francisco. Back then, I still celebrated Christmas in Germany while Michael was already here. We both can't believe that it's been 20 years already.
We've experienced a lot. San Francisco has changed over these 20 years, just as we probably have. Some changes, like the now absurdly high rents, the larger number of ugly concrete buildings, and the disappearance of independent shops, we don't like at all. But the city still makes our hearts beat faster. Therefore, this time, in honor of our 20th anniversary, San Francisco is the focus. We wish all our loyal readers a joyful and reflective Christmas and a peaceful New Year!
20 signs that we've been living in San Francisco for 20 years:
1. We don't know anyone who voted for Trump.
2. We need half an hour to decide which restaurant to go to, as there are so many nearby.
3. Even I can now manage to park in the smallest parking space and can easily start on steep hills with a manual transmission.
4. Only under threat of punishment do we go to 'Fisherman's Wharf' or 'Pier 39'.
5. It seems strange to us when someone speaks without an accent.
6. Our rent of 2100 dollars for a two-bedroom apartment seems incredibly cheap to us, because comparable apartments cost the absurd price of 5000 dollars per month.
7. Naked people with absurd costumes, even though it's not carnival season, or other crazy individuals only make us smile wearily.
8. We always bring an extra layer of clothing because the wind and fog are sure to come.
9. Michael doesn't think much of taking the company bus for an hour to travel 50 km to work, because he can zip to the bus stop on his skateboard and use the Wi-Fi during the ride.
10. On the other hand, we never carry umbrellas with us and get wet every time the rainy season starts in November.
11. Let's throw a party, but first let's ask who doesn't eat what. Vegetarians? Vegans? Gluten -- yes or no?
12. If we want to experience something exciting again, we take the MUNI (buses and streetcars in San Francisco).
13. We are no longer surprised that an apartment can be sold for over 1 million dollars without a garage.
14. Surfing in the Pacific in a wetsuit in December is cool.
15. We find it absurd that someone dares to smoke cigarettes on the street, but we just shrug when it smells like marijuana.
16. We never leave anything in the car or in our garage unless we want it to be stolen.
17. We have come to terms with the fact that dogs have special rights in this city.
18. We know what "Burning Man" is.
19. We think that people who collect signatures for any political petitions are part of the cityscape.
20. The sight of the Golden Gate Bridge still moves us.