From the freezing cold reaches of the Outer Sunset to the crackin’ streets of the Castro, my life has shifted.  Eureka Street at 18th, a 2 bedroom flat with a big kitchen and a living room. I’ve noticed immediate and welcome change.


My Morning: longer, fuller, richer.  Instead of waking up alone and in the dark to shower, dress, pack, and ride, I take my time and stroll to the kitchen in my slippers and sit with roommie while my oatmeal cooks, I lay out my clothes for the day shower to music and then get dressed in the comfortable morning light of my bedroom.


My workday: off to a good start.  Instead of arriving to work 20 minutes early to stretch in the little office and change in the bathroom and prepare my breakfast in the kitchen, I stroll in dressed and fed just early enough to say good morning to my colleagues and sit down at my desk and get to work.


My return: instant comfort.  instead of moving through the apartment like a forensic investigator – determining what had transpired in my absence and how it would affect me, I find everything as I left it or slightly improved.  Whereas the whiteboard at my old apartment might read “who ate all my peanut butter?”, I find a bouquet of fresh flowers on the table and a note from roommie with an appealing dinner plan.  I am left to my own devices – alone and free from outside influence, I do just what my heart desires.


My room: powerful independence.  To share a room is difficult, and despite the good nature and best intentions of one’s roommate, the persistent pressures of sharing a small space preclude complete comfort.  My own room is empowering and exciting and I feel like a grown-ass man.  I have my furniture and my books and my bed arranged in my way to serve my needs, and it pleases me very much.


My mindset: big moves.  Grand imagination of the future seems closer to reality.  The infrastructure of the life I want to lead is firmly in place.  I find more restoration in each minute of time spent at home, and there are endlessly exciting avenues to apply this new energy.


The Sunset was a primer, a fine introduction to San Francisco that gave me confidence and friends and plenty of good times.  The Castro is an environment aligned with my desires, and while I’m more alone I realize this is exactly what I wanted.