My first week in San Francisco has come and gone!

After being in Washington DC for five months, I have to remind myself that my time is San Francisco is going to be half of that. This time will go quickly, so I am urged to make the most of it.

First week in, I’m not doing too shabby.

One evening after work, I explored the beach just minutes from my temporary home. I can actually see it from my back porch!

(I won’t lie, the first few days I was here, I kept peeping through my blinds to make sure it hadn’t disappeared on me)

Saturday, however, was where I dominated most in the tourist department.

I headed to the Golden Gate Bridge Welcome Center to grab a few pictures of one of the most recognizable bridges in the world. Maybe you’ve heard of it?

Can I really say I lived on the West Coast without trying In-N-Out? Debatable.

(I chickened out and didn’t ask for it “Animal Style”, which was the recommendation I had received from a veteran In-N-Out-er.

Give me a bit of a break though. It wasn’t written on the menu and how was I supposed to know there was a secret one?)

Minutes away from the In-N-Out was the original Ghirardelli factory. I explored the different shops in the area, was showered with chocolate samples, and experienced Ghirardelli’s version of the Polar Express hot chocolate, a.k.a “Decadent Drinking Chocolate”. There was no singing Tom Hanks, but it was still pretty delicious.

To end the night, I watched the Chinese New Year parade in Chinatown.

It was wonderful seeing the ornate costumes and watching the different cultural nuances, like fan dances and martial-arts demos. I even enjoyed the unceasing firecrackers and the smokey haze they left behind. The Chinese culture is one I have very little exposure to, so I took it all in eagerly.

This week has been a restart of the finding my place in this temporary situation. I’m searching for connection points, such as a new church and Crossfit box. I’m learning the dynamics of a new department and interacting with new work peers. I’m riding on a public transit that is completely foreign to me. I’m testing the waters of a city I barely know.

It’s kind of hard, guys.

Don’t get me wrong, I am glad to be here. It’s more than that though.

When I tell people about what I do, they always tell me how brave I am, how awesome it must be to be able to travel around the country, how I’ve gotta do it now before I meet the love of my life and have adorable babies (okay, so people don’t necessarily tell me that verbatim, but it’s what we’re all thinking).

Anyways, while I love my job and do enjoy all that I am able to do in it, I still struggle these first couple of weeks. The exhilarating rush of being the new kid battles against earning the trust of my colleagues and proving the validity of my skill set. The wonder of being in a new city can be overpowered by fighting to find places and people to connect with.

This week, I had to muster teeth-gritting, mind-willing, white-knuckle courage. I had to power through the uncomfortable feeling of being new and naive, so I could start creating a functioning and thriving life here. I had to get my hands dirty and do some work, in the hopes of yielding a worthwhile experience. They say you get out what you put in, right?

San Francisco has so much to offer and I’m really excited to grow in my craft and uncover even more of the area.