20 Mar Studying Abroad in San Francisco: Completing my Adventure List

Hi! My name is Emily, I’m an English Literature major and an exchange student here at San Francisco. I would like to use this blog as a way to document my time here and discuss the places I visit along the way. My roommate and I have created a list of all the places I should visit during my semester here and I’d like to bring you along too. Before I arrived in San Francisco I was incredibly nervous, I hate flying and had an 11-hour flight alone to a place I’d never been to. I was excited for what was to come and in hindsight there was no real reason to be nervous. Perhaps the hardest part of travelling over 5000 miles away from home was the jet lag and figuring out times to phone home when everyone wasn’t sleeping. Although those first few days were the most challenging, and often times lonely, I quickly found comfort in the new friends I made and adventures we are now currently having.

The international orientation was a day of making friends and as a newly formed group we decided to

visit Ocean Beach, we took the bus from campus. The journey was about 30 minutes and we arrived there just as the sun was beginning to set, it wasn’t warm like I expected California to be, but it was still beautiful. Bubbles of seafoam had formed on the sand and it tempting to dip my feet in the sea, but we collectively decided it would be freezing cold. Together we sat and watched the sun set and made our way back to the warmth, cold but cheerful.

 My second adventure felt especially touristy and was one to tick off of our list. My new roommate and I took the 28 bus from campus to the Golden Gate Bridge! I couldn’t help but smile once the red towers of the bridge first appeared from behind the treeline of the Golden Gate Park, I couldn’t wait to get off of the bus and see it in its entirety

for the first time in person. After a hard first week this was the perfect way to experience the beauty of San Francisco, even if it was very touristy. For those that haven’t been I highly

recommend you go at least once. It’s completely free to walk around, and you can even have a look underneath the bridge. That weekend truly felt like the start of my new life here in SF for the following 4 months. 

Classes then began on the 29^{th of} January, a week after my 

arrival to San Francisco, and I began to discover the differences between British and American Universities, like SFSU. I have really enjoyed the more interactive element of studying here, where participation is encouraged much more. However, the small desks and connecting seats feel very weird to me!

That weekend I was able to explore the city more with new friends and we decided to find a place for food that wasn’t city eats (the cafeteria here on campus). On Balboa Street, we found a lovely independent restaurant, Dumpling Dynasty. We were a group of about 10 people, and filled up almost the entire seating area so I would say it was very small but had a wholesome atmosphere. We decided to order lots of the food, and we then split the bill at the end of the meal which was a good way of sharing and getting to try a little bit of everything. Each plate was around $10, if you do get a chance to eat there, I would definitely recommend it, I particularly enjoyed the Pea Sprout & Shrimp Dumpling (D7), the BBQ Beef Pot Sticker (D14) and the Egg Rolls (A3). It was relatively in expensive but especially delicious.

I then had my first clubbing experience in San Francisco, it is notably very different to the UK clubs I have been to, and weird being sober, adjusting to the legal drinking age. I had been worried I’d feel left out if I couldn’t go to clubs and bars because of my age but the student clubs, like Origin, are still really fun and a good place to socialise, have a dance and sing together.

After the second week of classes, it was time to go on another adventure and tick a place off of the list. My roommate and I decided to visit the Conservatory of Flowers which is located in Golden Gate Park. We parked close by; you now have to walk through the park. San Francisco has some beautiful green spaces and Golden Gate Park is a perfect example of one. There is such a 

variety of plants and beautiful tall trees, particularly 

 along the promenade towards the conservatory. The actual conservatory is a white greenhouse with

pretty details across its roof and sides. For students living in campus accommodation, it is completely free, it was a lovely day out and there were so many plants I would have never been able to see otherwise, including plants from rainforests and even a cocoa tree where the process for making chocolate begins. If you decide to go here make sure you say hello to the very friendly fish, Angel.

 That same weekend, Sunday the 11^th of February, was the Superbowl, and the first Superbowl game I have ever watched. I knew nothing about American football and still am very confused but by the end I couldn’t stop watching and felt quite competitive and supportive of the 49ers. It was very close, but the 49ers lost to the Chiefs which was frustrating however I was just excited to have seen my first Superbowl and the Usher halftime show, in actual time and not recorded!

I have only been in San Francisco for 3 weeks and already I have seen and experienced so much, I would urge anyone who is thinking about studying abroad, whether it be at SFSU or elsewhere, not to worry too much about making friends or the distance from family, but just to jump at the opportunity and experience these things for yourself. You will find friends and grow a support system here and those connections you make are worth that tough time at the start. Have fun!