I haven’t had anything unusual or particularly eventful happen while at home in Vallejo lately and I consider that a good thing. I see a lot of crime reported when I look in the local newspaper, budget cuts, schools threatening to close. These things happen everywhere and yet life goes on and good things do still happen everyday.

When return home from a long day’s work I can often count on the weather being at least a few degrees warmer than San Francisco here, although when it’s hot in San Francisco that usually means it’s steaming in Vallejo. I obviously don’t mind though since it will soon be ten years that I have lived in this city.

The only crowds and congestion I seem to run into here is at the farmer’s market on a sunny Saturday morning or afternoon. Lunchtime in the city means navigating crowds and timing lunch just right so that I can get a seat if I don’t want to return to my desk. Even on the weekends I would love to go shopping and dining in Berkeley, but the thought of traffic and the numerous bodies in my favorite establishments often make me rethink my recreation choices.

The fact that our dollar doesn’t stretch as far as it once did also makes me look around my immediate surroundings for ways to pass the time away. I have been saying for months that I can’t seem to find time to write on my time off -- that’s been nothing more than an excuse. I have some favorite spaces to write I have learned to appreciate as of late that don’t require that I come or go at a given time. I can arrive when I want, find a place to sit and relax, and leave when I please. There are places outside of my home, as well as inside my home. Sometimes it’s either too hot or too cold or I’m too sleepy or just not in the mood to write at home, but the space is here wherever I choose to expand my mind and share ideas with others.

I recently had someone ask me what life in Vallejo was like and I only hope I didn’t scare her away. I wanted to be honest - we do seem to attract quite a bit of crime and we are still suffering under the weight of bankruptcy, there’s no way around either of those facts. At the end of the day though, whether you’re passing through or here to stay, you can find a quiet space, a place to call home, a friendly conversation or an opportunity to expand your creativity here in this quiet and complex city.