The Things You Should Know About a Summer in San Francisco

Someone asked me yesterday about how often I blog and the last time I had. I turned a little rosy and sheepish, like a kid that just got caught swiping cake batter from the bowl.

(me..totally me)

Truth be told, writing is not something I like to do on a schedule or on-demand. Back in the days of "legit" blogging, I did just that. And let me tell you, it usually sucks more than an overenthusiastic informercial vacuum. Sure, I do write formally all the time. But haven't we determined that janky is far more fitting for me?

'Definitely maybe' is my trademark tune. Barefoot hoppin & beach boppin are my normal. And Casual Friday is really every day on my calendar. Yeah dude! is the answer. It really is.

So let's talk. Just casual--you and me.

First you, then me. Because guests first, always duh.

How are you? This is always my first question to a person. Authentic is timeless. And while Instagram may welcome filters, conversation is a different ballgame. It matters to me that real talk is just that. Because I hope we mean what we say! I truly do.

Me?

This summer has been rad with a capital R. But so incredibly different than I would've guessed. Gimme a sec to explain.

Last summer was crazy to the fullest extent, but it taught me more about myself than I ever could have imagined. It was the perfect collision of bold intention and spontaneous difference that made for an unforgettable shabang and story.

In coming back to the Bay this summer, I'm grateful for the knowledge I have under my belt. Armed with good experience + bad jokes, I'm finding that I have a guiding trajectory and understanding of "how stuff works."

Past experiences allow you to dive deep and fast, without the worry that you won't know how to breathe when you plunge underwater.

But while the past can be a propeller, it can also be an anchor too. If you've never experienced something before, it's new and exciting. But if you experience something twice, it's not immediately new and exciting the second time. It's just "different."

Not "bad-different." Just a sophomore adjustment that requires unlearning some of what you know to allow new experience to breathe in.

It's easy to reminisce about X, to expect Y, to compare Z. But at the end of the day, I'm learning that those actions are positive only if they help, not hinder, moving forward. Real talk  -- that's a tough thing to do.

On San Francisco

San Francisco is a fickle love. Mark Twain wasn't kidding when he said that the coldest winter he ever spent was a summer in San Francisco. And it's no joke that my feelings about this city are quite akin to the weather.

One day, San Francisco has clear blue skies and abundant sunshine, and the next, it's chilly fog with moody winds abound. One day, I find myself loving San Francisco's culture of hills, startups, and laid-back living.

The next, I'm dreaming about the fast-paced frenzy of New York and the challenge of big skyscrapers and even bigger dreams.

This city is built upon polar opposites--clouds on top of sun; tech 20 somethings, homeless, and hipsters;  swanky bars and hole-in-the-wall taquerias.

It's easy to think in versus, but I'm learning to give up comparison in favor of exploration. And in doing so, I'm starting to understand the shrouded in-between of Chapter One-and-a-Half. I've done my fair share of unintentionally getting lost but would be lying if I said it wasn't with the intention of finding my own way here.

Sometimes that means solo city wandering, and other times that means Sunday mornings with pals. However, it always means pancakes thankyouverymuch.

Work at Google is equally interesting. Twice the experience, double the curiosity!

As a two-time intern, I'm forever grateful for the experience I have under my belt. It guides trajectory and provides a baseline for workflow. At the same time, a second summer presents the challenge of reinvention. Faced with the comforts of complacency, it's far too tempting to carry on with precedent.

But aaaaain't nobody got time for that! Let's all hope that's considered a wise proverb someday. Royalty checks are more than welcome.

Slowly but surely, we're finding new adventures, even the second-time around. Today, tomorrow, but certainly not yesterday.

Because good gracious, we know I'm not one to flirt with a safe bet.

So this is summer as a I see it. We're singing new tunes (even if it's in the shower...)  and dancing like nobody's watching (even if it's nowhere near the caliber of Beyonce).

We're drinking bottles of bubbly. Because we're poppin', and that's our prerogative. We're letting go of the idea that we're not old enough or not bold enough. And we're kicking sass and taking names.

And you know the best thing about it?

It's just casual -- you and me.