City of Trees

I was driving back to work from the Sacramento Convention Center down J Street and suddenly realized that Sacramento IS the city of trees... I have lived and worked in Sacramento for the past seven years and I have hated being here and complained to many because of the hot weather in the valley, not being close to our families, and that Sacramento isn't peaceful and beautiful enough compared with Madison, Wisconsin and it's not "city" enough like Taipei or San Francisco. To me, Sacramento was a transitory city for a transient like me, and I have a lot of friends that are 'stuck' in Sacramento to prove me right on my perspective on Sacramento!

It was not until recently that I embraced living in Sacramento. This city is not as quiet compared to Madison but it is definitely the more happening capitol of the two. Sacramento is not as "city" compared to San Francisco or Taipei, but it has the trees and spaces that you will not find in those cities... Why did it take me 7 years to finally appreciate the City of Trees? The answer is simple, because I wasn't willing to see what Sacramento offers.

Living in a big city was always my goal for myself after graduate school, to me, Sacramento was not the place that I wanted to live long term so I chose to live here as if I was an outsider even though I was "living" here. I chose not to see the beauty and diversity that Sacramento offers because I might leave here any minute, I chose not to enjoy the house that we purchased because we might sell it soon, and I chose not to create my community here because I was leaving one of these days...

As I drove down J street to come back to work, I realized how much I have missed out for not being present to what this city offers. I just left the Women's Investments Conference listening to Madeline Albright on a Tuesday afternoon about 10 blocks away from work. As I walked back to my car, the sun warmed me up and it was breezy outside. This is February and it was about 60 degrees Fahrenheit... Not only it was a beautiful day out, but I also had the opportunity to listen to one of the most inspirational women in the world. This all happened in the City of Trees the moment that I embraced the City and the moment that I chose to see...