I’ve been living in the Bay Area for two months now and all I can say is: I am in love!
Ever since I got my visa in December, the rest of my days felt like a blur. I got my visa two weeks before Christmas and since COVID cases were coming down, I decided to spend the rest of December with my family and devote the three weeks of January to my friends. All my plans fell through since I got sick during the first week of January and the Omicron wave closed down everything. Soon enough, it was January 19, and time to leave.
Living by myself isn’t as hard as I thought it will be! I’m more domesticated now and I’m happy to report that I have not yet broken any appliances nor shrunk any clothes in the washer! I have burnt a lot of food though and still learning how to cook delicious food, but like I said, you eat for sustenance and not taste.
Every week is an adventure consisting of getting lost in the city, confusing public transportation, and finding new experiences and places. I can’t call myself a nature girl before but I’ve done a fair bit of hiking here and I’m actually starting to look forward to doing long walks during my weekends. I get all the hype now!
I’m making new friends here but I also miss my friends and family back home. I’m so thankful with how much communication technology has evolved. I do get a little sad sometimes and wishing I’m doing all these experiences with them instead of just sharing pictures or videos, but with borders opening, I hope to see them in this side of the continent soon!
I might still be wearing rose tinted glasses for now but I’m so happy to be here. Sometimes I’ll be doing chores, running errands, or just walking around the city and my mind goes, “you’re here! You’re in San Francisco!” and it’s unbelievable.
Life in the States is different — but everybody I’ve met has been incredibly nice, patient, and helpful, making sure I settle here. While I can’t say I’m completely fully settled, I’ve set up routines and pretty much have everything going for me. It’s been an incredible two months and I can’t wait for the upcoming ones!
Hedda Damasco 