’so where are you living?’

i get this question a lot by clients, new friends, random public transportation people.

i have to smile as i answer, ‘on a couch in berkeley,’ for several reasons…

one] it seems as if in some time in everyone’s life, they should have no other place to call home but a couch in a friend’s living room. i mean seriously. always having a room and knowing you have a place to lay your head is completely overrated. living with only the contents of 2 suitcases for a month and changing in the living room… who wouldn’t want that?

two] if ever someone were to move to san francisco with only what they could carry and with no other plans, it seems as if their adventure should begin on a couch in berkeley. this is where backpacker era began, right? it’s only fitting that i join in with the indigenous community and support such free-loading spirit.

three] finding a temporary place to crash has allowed myself to get my bearings in the city while not requiring me to fully invest myself there yet. berkeley has a small town feel, nearly unheard of once you cross the bridge into san francisco. living as a ‘bridge and tunnel’ person has allowed me to dip my feet into the city before it’s time to dive into it via an apartment. soon enough, but right now, the water’s cold.

four] if you had friends like i did, you really would want to enjoy sharing life with them as long as you possibly can by staying on their couch. most couples, i feel like a third wheel, but nikki and kevin are different. aside from nikki’s frequent ‘kevin!’ and his ever, ‘i’m joking, kidding,’ i feel at home and at peace. when everything else seems to be changing and moving, i means more than i can say to have friends with history and memories to share over the dinner table.

fifth] do you have any idea how much it costs to find a decent apartment in the city?!
ha! i might be here longer than they think!

This entry was posted on Sunday, September 23rd, 2007 at 10:45 pm and is filed under . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.