Friendly People Help Make This Great California City Even Better
I need to have a bit of an attitude adjustment, get in the right mindset and readjust my mentality.
No longer am I in Los Angeles, where you walk past people without giving them a glance. You don’t say “hi,” to strangers as you pass them, nor do you strike up brief but friendly conversations while you’re waiting for the light to change.
Hey, it’s not like New York City, where you walk down the sidewalks with a focused glare, not daring to make eye contact with anyone. But
But I am now in San Diego and I need to put on my “San Diego Smile.”
The “San Diego Smile” is something you need to wear all the time here. That’s because everyone else had one on and it’s always important to adapt to your environment. People smile at you and even make small talk as you’re walking along the streets and as a matter of common courtesy I like to return the kindness.
In only my second week here, I have to constantly remind myself to smile while I’m walking through the Gaslamp Quarter and surrounding areas. Everyone else is and I need to do the same.
People are so friendly here it’s ridiculous. And it’s everyone – people who work at the bars, from the doormen and bouncers to the patrons and every single bartender and staff member. When I go into a place, I need to have my friendly demeanor on full throttle.
When I lived here a few years ago, I kept asking myself the first few days “why is everyone here so happy and friendly?” After a while I figured out the answer and it’s quite simple. They are happy and friendly because they are in San Diego!
It’s America’s best city. It has fantastic weather, it has beaches and the Southern California lifestyle, a beautiful bay, hiking and biking trails, fantastic public transportation (coming from L.A., this takes some getting used to) and one of the best nightlife areas in all of America, the Gaslamp.
Of course they are happy! And when you’re happy you’re friendly. You smile all the time and say “hi” to strangers.
After a while – a couple more weeks, maybe – I won’t have to remind myself of this, as I will constantly be wearing my San Diego Smile.
#nightlife
#sandiego
#gaslamp
Leave a Reply