Walking to Work

I thought today I'd share some of the sights I take in on my walks to work. Depending on the route I take, I can see all sorts of beautiful things, which makes the trip go by quickly for as long as it is.

A view of Japantown (known as J-town by locals)

St. Mary's Cathedral, aka the giant washing machine agitator and the site of the 

famous (or perhaps infamous) "two o'clock titty"

 Colorful paper lanterns in Chinatown. Normally I try to avoid Chinatown, 

but it's wonderfully peaceful in the morning before the tourists come out.

 The art deco-styled Pacific Stock Exchange downtown

The awesome Transamerica building, which looms over 

much of the area around where I work

The best views, not surprisingly, tend to come along with a fair amount of hill climbing, so if I'm in a hurry or am lacking energy (read: hungover) I can go through the considerably less scenic (though not without their charms) Little Saigon and Tenderloin  neighborhoods. I can also cut through a "new" neighborhood (which is really just the realtors' way of repackaging an old neighborhood to make it sound more appealing) called the TenderNob, but I refuse to acknowledge that this neighborhood actually exists. I mean think about it. As if the name Tenderloin wasn't bad enough already.

 A pretty park I often cut through where I can watch dogs playing 

and people doing their morning exercise. That's City Hall in the distance.

 An urban garden tucked in between some buildings in the Western Addition area.

A "parklet" on Powell Street near Union Square. 

Who needs parking spaces, anyway?

 Coit Tower atop Telegraph Hill. 

This is also visible from the windows of my office.

 Lotta's Fountain on Market Street. This was the meeting place 

for survivors after the 1909 earthquake.

 The Ferry Building isn't on my commute route, but it's where my coworkers and I often go for lunch. 

That's one of the "F" line streetcars out front. Not to be confused with cable cars, 

these are classic streetcars from all over the world that have been restored 

and which go up and down Market Street from the Castro to the Embarcadero. 

And take a really fucking long time doing it. 

Not a good transportation option if you're pressed for time.

The view from the Ferry Building isn't half bad, eh? 

This is easily my favorite lunch spot when the weather is good.

 If I'm in the mood for some steep hill climbing (and by "steep" I mean some of the streets have 

staircases instead of sidewalks) I can check out beautiful Grace Cathedral at the top of Nob Hill 

on my walk to or from work. If I'm lucky I might also spot the Brown Twins while I'm 

in the neighborhood; I've seen them twice already on my walks.

 The views from Nob Hill aren't too shabby either

 Looking into downtown from Nob Hill. Note the cable car; the tracks that they run on 

make a lot of noise because the cables run on a continuous loop underneath them. 

It's a little disconcerting if you don't know what it is.

 A different view into downtown from the north side of Nob Hill, 

with the Bay Bridge off in the distance.

I've actually taken to carrying my camera with me at all times because I see so many great things in my travels. I'll undoubtedly have more to share with you another time, but I hope you've enjoyed this mini-tour of San Francisco, or at least a 3-mile slice of it. I'll leave you with one more great view:

They look like angels when they're sleeping, don't they?

Excitement

This outfit is pretty much a repeat of a previous one, but with ponte knit pants replacing the original leggings, the red bag to add a little color, and a few accessories to jazz it up. The first time around I was going for a strict minimalist look, whereas this time I wanted to throw in a few more finishing touches. Since it's a repeat there's not too much else to say about this outfit, which is fine because today I have other things to talk about.

In the comments to Friday's post, many of you correctly guessed that my birthday wish was a new job. I'm surprised that no one pinpointed the specifics though: the outfits I posted were the ones I wore to my interviews. And yes, there were 5 separate rounds of interviews, mainly because people that I needed to interview with were either traveling or out of the office on different days, so the interviews were broken up. Good thing I have a wardrobe large enough to put together 5 interview-appropriate outfits.

Finding the perfect job has been my quest these last several years. I haven't been overly thrilled with my current job from the start, to be quite honest; it's a very large company and is mired in convoluted processes and absurd politics. But for all that, I respect what the company does and its commitment to finding treatments for serious diseases, and so I've stuck it out and made the most of it while I held out for just the right opportunity.

I knew it was really time to leave this job when I started blaming "the company" for irrational things such as the lousy South San Francisco weather. Admittedly, at times it really does feel like our campus was designed specifically for maximum discomfort and walking hazards, from the building layout that funnels in the icy afternoon wind, to the high-heel-destabilizing textured floor of the parking garage, to the multiple loading docks with their procession of large trucks that have to be crossed to reach the front door of the building I work in. Eventually I had become so ready to leave that every little inconvenience just soured me more and more.

I remember vividly getting off the bus one morning and seeing people smiling and greeting each other, and thinking, "These people seem to be happy here; what the hell is wrong with me?" But rationally I knew that it wasn't me, and it wasn't the company; it was like that relationship where although you care for the person and wish them well, you know that you can't continue as a couple because you bring out the worst in each other. It was simply time to move on. Luckily, that perfect opportunity I'd been hoping to find materialized at precisely the right time.

You guys, I could not be more excited about this new job. It's a very small start-up biotech company that's working on an exciting new technology for cancer indications. My job will take me in lots of different directions and although it'll be a lot of work, there's a real chance to make a substantial  difference. Additionally I know several people there, including a very dear and trusted colleague who is also one of my best friends. But here's the kicker: the company is located in the heart of downtown San Francisco. My dream is realized!

So now you know one of the things I've been so preoccupied with these last couple of months. It has been hard to be patient, but finally I was able to give my notice and settle on a start date at the new place. Next Tuesday is my last day, and I'll start at the new job the following week. Not only that, but Mark and I are in the process of buying another house. In fact, we close escrow the same week that I start my new job. How's that for excitement?

Tunic, cropped top: Asos
Pants: Club Monaco
Shoes: BC Footwear
Bag: Foley + Corinna