One of my greatest fears going into college was feeling like San Francisco would no longer feel like home and I would be a stranger in my own house. However, after returning home for Thanksgiving, I realized that these fears were misplaced. The moment we got off the freeway and turned onto my street, I immediately felt completely at home, almost as though I had never left. 

Part of this fear came from feeling like I would lose my identity because my sense of place in my hometown, and even my state, informs a lot of who I am. When I introduce myself to people and I tell them I’m from San Francisco, I’m proud to be from somewhere so beautiful not only physically, but also culturally. San Francisco is known for being accepting of all types of people, and growing up with that sense of acceptance is something I carry with me wherever I go. San Francisco is also very liberal, and I feel a sense of belonging and a sense of place in that aspect as well. In many ways, San Francisco is like a safe little bubble protected from many of the problems in the rest of the country, at least politically, and at home. 

I have never lived anywhere else, not even in a different house, so my home itself feels almost like an extension of my identity. The strongest sense of place I have of San Francisco is right in from of my house on the sidewalk. I’ve lived in my house for my entire life, so I feel an especially strong sense of place there. Growing up, my brother and I would play with our neighbors from across the street on the sidewalk and we would wash the car outside on sunny weekend days. Whenever we went somewhere, pulling up to our house gave me a feeling of relief and safety. 

I also have a powerful sense of place in my neighborhood, Bernal Heights. San Francisco is covered with hills, but at the top of Bernal, there is a natural area that has been turned into a park. For the most part, it is somewhere where people walk their dogs, but there are also other sorts of wildlife there. The hill is mostly covered in native grasses and trees, and there are a lot of gophers and sometimes snakes. There is also a coyote who lives there. The hill is usually golden brown, and it feels very much like the rest of California to me with large golden rolling hills. The hill gives me a strong sense of place and community within my neighborhood, and my state, and also my city which I can see from the top. 

I’m so very grateful to be from such a wonderful place, and to feel such a sense of place there. I know that even if I move away when I’m older, or even if my parents move, I will still feel a strong sense of belonging in San Francisco that will never change despite the constant change and growth in my city.