Sing it, Tony Bennett

Walking through the financial district of San Francisco with the group, I told Cory that the city felt like Chicago to me. We immediately started drawing the comparisons: similar architectural types, similar gay communities, similar focus on immigrant populations and communities, similar love of art, food, and culture, similar vibe.

Maybe that's why I liked it so much. We've been to a few cities now that have had me thinking I could live there. There's even been one or two where I thought, "I could get off the bus here and stay a while longer." But San Francisco was the first that allowed me to picture myself there, showing my family the sights when they came to visit, putting down roots and building a life there.

Maybe it is just the Chicago vibes I felt coming off of it. Maybe it was just the stark contrast between L.A. and San Francisco in my mind. Where L.A. seemed so exclusive and judgmental, San Fransisco seemed practiced in acceptance and going with the flow. The gay community didn’t seem celebrated because it is considered cosmopolitan to be gay friendly, it was celebrated because they truly supported the strong community that was built in the Castro district.

It certainly wasn’t perfect. San Francisco is one of the largest ports for sex traffickers in the United States, and it did have it’s less celebrated areas, but there seemed to be a good blend of cultures, classes, and people.

It was a city that seemed to have a place for everyone. I didn’t feel judged and, aside from a humorously confusing trip on the public transit, I never felt like a tourist. It felt like home.

The great tragedy being of course, it’s is one of the most expensive cities we visit on this trip. Someday though, I’ll save up my pennies and manage to pour my life savings into a cozy, 150 sq. foot apartment. And I’ll fit right in.