After being in British Columbia, we drove down to Seattle and stayed with some family there.
It was pretty cool, I thought Seattle was huuuge, until we headed to San Francisco....
Okay, so maybe I should explain why we went to San Francisco in the first place. Richard wants to go to University of Pacific's (UOP) dental school there, mainly because it is the only dental school with a 3 year program instead of a 4 year program. It is top notch, hard to get into, has the best professors, great environment, etc etc etc. We toured the school the morning we got there, and it was very impressive. Richard met with the lady in charge of admissions and asked her some questions, and wanted to see if he was a competitive candidate to get accepted (and of course, wanted them to connect his face to a name, and let them know that he seriously wants to go there next year). The staff was really great, and all of the students are THRILLED to be there, they just love their teachers and opportunities within the school to learn. The city itself, however, was SO CRAZY.
Parking was horrendous, you always have to park in a garage. In fact, we got a ticket because we parked on the wrong side of the street while they were doing street-cleaning (every 2nd and 4th wednesday..??) We heard the bus system is horrible, because it is so insanely crowded and they always run late. I did not see one grocery store the whole time I was there, and if there is one, I'm assuming you'd have to pay to park just to shop for your groceries. It happened to be insanely hot the day we were there, which apparently is very uncharacteristic of San Francisco. The rent is 2000+ a month, and you would be in a tiny apartment. In the inner city, there were lots of homeless people who would hold signs that said "I'm not going to lie, I just want a beer". One even said "money for weed please".
Maybe reverse-psychology works better now-a-days, or maybe they just think a sense of humor will get them more tips? Who knows. Driving was kind of scary, there were no left turns anywhere. To get in and out of the city in any direction, you have to pay a $4 toll each way. That seemed annoying to me, considering those who commute in and out every single day (which I might do if I teach there while he's in school--maybe there is a pass for frequent travelers?) There were some crazy-steep roads in the city that would scare me as we pulled up to them, it was like a roller coaster! You really had to be careful of pedestrians.
HOWEVER, the place where we spent most of our time in the city was very clean, the buildings are charming-looking, and there is a lot to do. The beach is close, there are great shopping centers. The main mall in the city was the biggest mall I've ever been in, and the food court in it was very hip and cool. We saw some really tasty sea-food and ate some great clam chowder. It seems to be the Asian hub-bub, although there was a lot of diversity.I have to admit, I would much rather live in an area where it's easy to navigate and free to park your car to simply get groceries, but I realize that sometimes when you are married you need to make the best decision for your spouse. I want my husband to get a really good education and to enjoy himself (and not be miserable at a so-so school). I guess if that means living in a place that I don't necessarily love, that's ok! Because sometimes you don't know if you like something until you try it, and I'm always up for an adventure. Plus, it would only be 3 years. I would just be sad to be so far away from family.
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Oh how exciting! i love california!(although maybe im biased) and San Fransisco is such a charming city i think. i think its such a good idea to live somewhere you wouldnt necessarily live while you are at school, just to experience life in different ways.
ReplyDeleteSo is it because we both grew up in Fishers that we're so much alike? Your rant sounds EXACTLY like my complaints about London, New York, even at first DC. (DC grew on me because of the history, it still has lots of trees, and there's a zoning law that no building can be more than 13 stories tall).
ReplyDeleteI hate big cities. They suffocate me. They're needlessly expensive. They're loud and crowded and impossible to travel around in. The people are shallow and pretentious.
But I think you should survive it for three years, if Richard actually does want it. But remember to make a big cost/benefit analysis spreadsheet! Given the living expenses and tuition and insane schedule would it be worth it? I'm sure you two will discuss it plenty but just remember to be rational. Richard's career really won't suffer if he goes to a slightly less ranked school that costs half as much. (At least, that was my value judgment in law school. But yours for dental school may be different)
Thanks carolyn!! Yeah the cost/benefit analysis is always in the back of our minds. Is the military really worth it? etc etc. We would only go to pacific if he did the military, otherwise the debt load would be utterly insane. Although, others would argue that 3 years at a super expensive college makes up for the cost at a 4 year semi-expensive college. However, Indiana would still be half the price per semester, and living cost would be extremely affordable.
ReplyDeleteJed absolutely hated driving in San Fransisco. It was super scary! So we know what you mean. It certainly is an interesting city... But it definitely has some cool things to see.
ReplyDeleteIt was great to have you guys on the houseboat. i loved it too. Sorry that the girls forgot your bugs but we will bring them in October. And big cities scare me too!
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