Singing in the Rain

Oddly enough, one of the things I was most excited about in coming to San Francisco was the rain. After three years of living in the desert I felt parched and tired of the constant sun. My New England bones have ached for weather, however dismal that weather may be.

Today, I experienced my first San Francisco rain as a resident and I'll be honest, I was bummed. But only because I went to bed last night with thoughts swirling around my head about all that I wanted to do today. My plan was to start my morning and knock out emails in a Nob Hill Cafe before walking down to Hayes Valley to "wish list shop" and discover a delicious lunch spot.

When I woke to the soft rainfall outside, I immediately turned on the TV to the weather channel and pulled up weather.com on my phone. I incessantly checked the forecast for about an hour and pitifully gave up on my day of exploration.

It wasn't long until I got stir crazy.

I stuck my hand out of the window one last time to check the rain before deciding that I wouldn't let it ruin my plans. I zipped up my boots (unfortunately, my rain boots aren't here with me yet), squished into a puffer jacket, and grabbed an umbrella on my wait out the door.

And I'm oh so glad that I decided to venture out into the rain, because I had a beautiful afternoon.

Since I came last Wednesday, I've been to Nob Hill, Russian Hill, Pacific Heights, the Marina, Cow Hollow, Civic Center, and Lower Pac Heights. I've walked a minimum of 2 miles and a maximum of 8 miles on any given day. There are way too many nooks of this city to discover; I cannot justify sitting still.

The walk from Nob Hill to Hayes Valley was less than thrilling, but I'm still glad that I did it. It felt good to walk, to breathe in the cool damp air, and be alone with my thoughts.

Upon entering Hayes Valley, I walked in and out of quirky stores to gather design inspiration for our new humble 500 square foot abode.

Satisfied with a head full of new ideas, I ducked into a restaurant for lunch. I ate at The Lunchpad, a pop-up shop inside of Noir Lounge on Hayes St and Laguna St. My sandwich was deeelicious (I got the A-bomb), but what I loved most was the atmosphere. Dark walls, hardwood floors, delicate red leather furniture, a chandelier hanging over a flower-topped plank table--all of it was perfect and cozy for a lunch on a rainy day. I can't wait to return here, especially to see how the Noir Lounge functions at night.

After lunch, I popped into a few more shops and one of my favorite dessert spots, Miette. Just being inside of Miette makes me happy, it's so colorful and quaint.

Happy with my day's excursions, I returned home (in a small downpour) with a smile on my face. Today, I conquered the rain. Tomorrow, I'll welcome it by snuggling under a blanket and binge-watching Masterpiece Theater.