I Left My Heart in San Francisco

So I had a long drive ahead of me. Approximately 1144 miles (including the 3 hour detour) and I needed some serious tunes. Instead of creating a playlist for the journey, I decided to see how many songs I could go through in my ipod and write down the ones that seemed fitting for the open road and broken heart. Of the 2972 songs I only got through 806. Here is what I came out with.

Road Trip to a New Beginning

Long Way Back Home Barenaked Ladies
Freetime Trashcan Sinatras
Leaving My Heart in San Francisco Tony Bennett
Kind and Generous Natalie Merchant
Everythings Right Matt Wertz
The Story Brandi Carlile
Right Now Van Halen
Secure Yourself Indigo Girls
The Promise Tracy Chapman
Winding Road Bonnie Somerville
Unwritten Natasha Beningfield
Closer to Fine Indigo Girls
Should I Stay or Should I Go The Clash
Rush Big Audio Dynamite
Please Let Me Get What I Want The Smiths
Paperweight Schuyler Fisk
Man Eater Hall and Oats
Hot Child In the City Joan Jett

Things I Miss About San Francisco

The fog rolling in, Golden Gate Bridge, Golden Gate Park, Seward Slides, Chinese New Year, Critical Mass, Bay to Breakers, Movie in the Park, KFOG KABOOM, The Mint, Silver Cloud, Crissy Field, Fort Point, Exploratorium, Legion of Honor, MOMA, View from Treasure Island, View from my house, Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, La Taqueria, Asia SF, Foreign Cinema, Plutos, Naan and Curry, The Pork Store, Kate's Kitchen, In & Out, Seniore's Pizza, Pizza Orgazmica, 24 hr. Starbucks, Tommy's, Cafe Gratitude, Blondies, The Grove, Kirby Cove, Baker Beach, Ocean Beach, CHina Beach, North Beach, Hayes Valley, Haight, Downtown, Nob Hill, Fillmore, Presidio, Embarcadero, 9th and Irving, Union Square, Union Street, Chestnut Street, Lomboard Street, Columbus Street, Twin Peaks, The Mission, The Castro, The Castro Theater, Muni: L, J, N, M, 22, 38L, 47, 49, 16, 1, F Train, The Bush Man, Kristephanie Zundelac, Dessert Parties at JI's, Love Sac chats with SW & TC, Play dates with BV, Jump pictures with GM, PZ suprise with SA, New restaurants with KC, Dinner with the D's, "Catching Up" with RO, Sleepovers with DA, Covert Ops with MM, and everything and everyone from the Embarcadero to Ocean Beach.


Things I DO NOT Miss about San Francisco

The Tenderloin, the smell of moth balls, the smell of piss rising from the street, "misty sprinkles", 1 way streets and no left turns, Metered Parking, Street Cleaning, DPT, Toll Bridges, Fisherman's Wharf, Smelly sea lions, tourists, and laundromats.

Picture this, my last day in San Francisco, me sitting on the big red couch, as I notice that the ending of my SF chapter is about the same as the beginning. The weather was cold, a little damp and the fog was rolling in. As depressing as that may seem, I wouldn't want it any other way. Well other than the transvestites walking by or homeless people sleeping or peeing outside my door, or the smell of moth balls and sticky rice coming through my tiny 200 square foot studio in the Tenderloin. Man that place sucked!
I have been in SF for 4 years and within that time, I have done everything I have wanted to do and I have no regrets. The best part is that I have done a complete 180 in my life. Not meaning that I have moved back to where I came from, but that I am not the same person I was when I came out here. I was stuck in a lifestyle I didn't know how to get out of. I was having an identity crisis and didn't really know who I was. I was shy, quiet, timid, not sure of myself and sometimes nervous. I laid low and hid under the radar for 2 1/2 years. It wasn't until I cut the last ties of the life I left in Utah and really broke free. I started making more friends, I became a friend, I was able to laugh and smile again, and really see that all the things I dreamed of being and the quality of people I had been searching for were right here and finally in my life.
I started living again and found myself developing into the person I am now........UZI.
I didn't even have to try, it just started happening. I was discovering things about myself, my personality, my character, and my dreams that I never knew were in me. It wasn't all my doing, it was mostly influenced by those I was around, the amazing friends I had in my life. They have helped mold me into Uzi by their example. I noticed things in them that I wanted in myself. So of all the nice things that all my friends have said to me and about me within the last couple weeks, about who I am and how I have effected them, this city and the ward, I really need to turn and thank them all back.

THANK YOU!
I LOVE YOU ALL
AND I WILL MISS YOU!

Uzi