Growing up, I often heard of the ‘Nature vs. Nurture’ debate revolving around whether people are who they are due to their genes or their environment. Although many have varied opinions, I personally think it is a mixture of both. Everyone is unique because of their genetic inheritance, but I would not be who I am today without the people and places that have surrounded me for my whole life.
San Francisco and all of its inhabitants have influenced my personality and outlook on life. The people that live here often don’t think about how thousands of people travel here from all over the world to experience the places we see every day. Recently, I hosted exchange students from Italy for a week. They were fascinated with all the places San Francisco has to offer. This caused me to slow down and reflect on how incredible it is to live in this city. I rarely appreciate how fortunate I am to live in a place that is so beautiful, inclusive, and full of opportunities. I feel comfortable being whoever I want to be here and appreciate everyone’s individuality. San Francisco’s diversity has exposed me to cultures from around the world. It’s busy streets keep me entertained and give me endless inspiration. Almost everything that is or has been important to me has some sort of correlation to SF. I am very thankful that I was given the gift of having this amazing city aid in the formation of my identity.
