I left my heart in San Fran… Fran.. Fran.. I remember hearing that phrase every day from our neighbor’s parrot when we still live in Pasay City. The parrot can’t complete the sentence. When I applied for a US tourist visa, the consul asked for my itinerary and I told her I want to visit the Golden Gate Bridge, Lombard Street and Fisherman’s Wharf. My first US visit was to San Francisco. Now that I’m living in North Carolina, I’m missing San Francisco occasionally.
Here are five things I miss about San Francisco:
- My Relatives – majority of my mom’s family live in the Bay Area. I miss being with them and spending time with them.
- Filipino Food – here in NC, if you don’t cook Filipino food, you won’t be able to eat Filipino food. In San Francisco, particularly in Daly City or South San Francisco, Filipino food are everywhere. Jollibee is just a stone throw away from my aunt’s place.
- Ease of Transportation – buses and BART are more frequent and getting from one place to another is easier compared to High Point, NC. Even with no car, you can still travel from one place to another in SF. In High Point, you better drive a car or else you will be stuck with a hefty Uber or Lyft bill.
- Job Opportunities – there are more job opportunities in the Bay Area compared to High Point. The hourly rate is also better compared to NC. Looking for work here that will pay the same rate as SF is few and far in between. Of course, getting a higher salary in SF means higher cost of living.
Better Flight Options – as SFO is a major hub, there are more direct flight options to different parts of the country and international destinations. Moreover, there are more airports to choose from with public transportation. Here in High Point where GSO is the closest, the only option with direct flights are only a handful and only to local destinations. About an hour and a half away by car (no public transportation), we have two airports to choose from, Raleigh-Durham (RDU) or Charlotte (CLT).
As I’m writing this, I realize that there are more than 5 things I miss about SF. Besides the one above, no tax on food items in groceries and free medical insurance for the unemployed and low income. I guess I’m missing SF more than I thought. I can always visit when COVID is over. I don’t want to spread the virus especially when all of my aunts and uncles are over 65.
Claudine on the Go 