Things I have learned since moving to San Francisco:

1. "Just over the hill" is not neccesarily the same sort of "hills" we're accustomed to in the south. I think a few of the hills I've walked up in this city could qualify as mountains along the blue ridge parkway.

2. Don't make eye contact with people on the bus. seriously, don't do it. It's not like in the south where you can smile and someone will smile back and then you just ride in peace together. Ohhhh nooo... here, if you make eye contact with someone, it's an open invitation for them to start telling you about the alien that abducted them from the park or that they're trying to become enlightened enough to write a new chapter of the bible. just put your ear phones in and look out the window.

3. Do not go anywhere ANYWHERE near a tourist attraction on a holiday. And I thought Wilmington was bad on memorial weekend. I've never seen a sea of people like the pack of folks who swarmed us when we made the oh so dumb decision to check out the fisherman's wharf on July 4th.

4. Walk! Living here has made me realized that there were so many places we could have walked to in Raleigh... but due to laziness and convenience, we always drove. I have seen such a change in myself in only two weeks... we walk everywhere, and it feels so good. Plus I notice things I would otherwise overlook like silly names written in the concrete and interesting posters people staple to the board outside the burrito shop.

5. Dogs fall in love with places too. I thought our dogs would be happy anywhere, as long as they were with us. I realized this week, sitting at the top of Buena Vista Park with the dogs that Gibson and Bailey are just as smitten with this place as we are. Bailey was laying in the grass, just sprawled out and happy as a claim, and Gibson had this giant smile on his face... ear to furry ear...