GirlGI | Girl Gone International Issue 8 | Page 69

‘No matter where in the world I’m having the conversation, the sheer expression of love for San Francisco and desire to visit it one day is universal.’ I’ve been lucky enough to have travelled to a lot of cities around the globe. When I interact with locals in any of these cities, the infamous question comes up – ‘where are you from?’ That question always leaves me fumbling for words as I try to compose a response. I used to start with ‘Well, I’m Indian’, but then the standard response would be ‘Oh, so you’re from India?’ I explain I was born and raised in the Fiji Islands, ‘Oh, Fiji! Where is that?’ This conversation usually leads to my ‘strange’ accent. I explain that I spent a few years in New Zealand before I moved to the US. ‘So yeah, I’m actually from San Francisco!’ San Francisco is known as the world headquarters of technology. Many of the world’s successful technology companies started right here. This means that the city is very open to trying out new things so we get to enjoy many technologies before they are available elsewhere. In the spirit of entrepreneurship, there is no shortage of fresh delicious food options as restaurant entrepreneurs experiment with local fresh ingredients. The weather is almost always perfect. Mild summers and winters make for comfortable seasons year round. We get to see the sun almost on a daily basis, even if it is chilly. What makes San Francisco a great city? I recently got into photography and everywhere I go in this amaz- ing city there is almost always something incredible to capture – whether it be the beautiful beaches or urban architecture and murals. Given that the city is only a short ride away from Napa Valley, there is no shortage of incredibly amazing wine and urban wine bars within the city. However, all of this would be meaningless without one very important ingredient. The people of San Francisco are what make this city one of my favorites in the world. The friendly and down to earth people of this city are what make San Francisco an incredible place to live.