Growing up my favorite book was Where the Wild Things are. I remember every night telling my mom or brothers to read it to me again. Thinking back now on that book and realizing that is actually has a lot of the same thoughts and themes that I strive for today. The imagination piece of it to always explore beyond what your eyes see. The sheer exploration of it to always push yourself to be better in life even in the small things. As well as just the pure fun Max had on his adventures.
With that book in mind I came up with my new local adventure. Week after week I am constantly trying to go around the Bay Area and explore everything I can and I realized while walking past a local coffee shop the other day I had never been in that I am missing so much on my own door step. I live in one of the most densely populated cities filled with creative and inventive minds and I barely have a grasp on my own city. That will change as I bought myself a local street map and I plan to walk every street in all of San Francisco. I have set no timeline or rules on this other than I will mark the map when I go to new places and try to be as mindful as possible while walking through each neighborhood and alley to be open to all that is my city.
I started with just a few blocks around my house withMadster and I already have found a new great restaurant, a spiritual center 5 blocks away, and a good cheap bike repair joint I can use for repairs. All these places withing a half mile of where I live and I had never seen them before. It got me thinking just how much we as humans get comfortable in our surroundings and forget to keep eyes open everyday for new adventures. I have traveled to more countries in my life than states in the US and probably even neighborhoods in San Francisco. So it is time to really start to understand SF and the amazing place I live.
ERIC RIGER 