A Wren Says

I went on my recent trip to San Francisco with some assumptions. These are the two biggest things you might come across as you plan or go about your journey. Let’s have a quick chat about weather and safety.

Before I left, I was told to pack warmer than I would think necessary for a trip to California. So I packed a very light coat and a sweater for when it heated up. During my late March trip, it never heated up. I was perpetually cold and wished that I had added more layering pieces to my bag. In addition, I also wish that I had packed a rain jacket instead of trying to rely on an umbrella. The jacket would have added warmth and kept me dry. I could have just flipped a hood on and off for all of the pop up rain showers, instead of toting around a wet umbrella. And mind you, the umbrella was virtually useless with how windy it was. It definitely got flipped multiple times.  As you prep for your vacation, check the weather, drop the assumptions about sunkissed California, and pack accordingly. The other piece, that is much heavier a topic, that warrants a longer discussion is around safety.

If you let many sites tell it, the streets will be overrun with those who are unhoused. Everywhere you look, there will be people waiting to assault and rob you. It made me perhaps unnecessarily fearful. Yes, we encountered people who were living on the street. Yes, some of them were panhandling. However, it was not anything unusual enough to warrant more fear than being in other larger cities. Listen, if you have been to New Orleans, New York, or (unfortunately) pretty much any major city, this crisis will not be unfamiliar to you. Follow the same safety rules you follow anywhere. Stay alert and mindful or your surroundings. Be especially careful if you are out late.

But that is just my experience based on the assumptions I had going into the trip. If you have deeper knowledge of the area and things people should know before arriving, feel free to share.