I walked down the Embarcadero for the first time. The weather was cool, the sun smiling down on me from a distance.

In most cities I’d been to, people walked at you, not around you. Time was more abundant here. Bikers, joggers, dog walkers, couples, children, and tourists were enjoying their Saturday afternoon. Street performers played music while skateboarders practiced on the sidelines. Modern buildings stood tall on one side. The bay sparkled on the other.

I strolled leisurely from the Ferry Building to Fisherman’s Wharf. By the end of it, I felt like I had just begun.

I could live here, I thought.

(And I did.)