Today, I woke up at my parents’ house and looked out the window. Another dreary, disgustingly grey day in the Richmond District here in San Francisco greeted me outside. If I had to wake up to this every single day as my place of residence, I would likely get seasonal depression and have to seek treatment… or, just MOVE. Not seeing the sun or blue skies every single day is so depressing, especially in a time of year that is supposed to be summer.

Yesterday, when I arrived back in the Richmond District, while it was sunny and warm downtown, it was more overcast as the car drove further out into the Richmond. The temperature drop was notable, but it was still a comfortable 66 degrees once I got out here. When I got into the house, my mom complained about how hot it was. “It’s so hot and humid here!” she cried. “I can barely take it!”

I had no idea what she was complaining about. If she thinks 66 F is hot, she seriously is so out of touch with reality that her comment warranted zero response.

I met up with two of my best friends today, and to defrost, we went down to the South Bay and had Singaporean food at a restaurant with outdoor seating in Palo Alto. It felt so good to wear a light dress without a jacket and walk around without my teeth chattering. It also felt good to be away from the negativity of my family.

After lunch, we spent some time chatting and bantering at a nearby park, then went window shopping at the Stanford Shopping Center. One of my friends has an 8-month old at home, and so she was showing me all kinds of potential things to pick out for my baby: strollers, car seats, bedding, mattresses, cribs, bassinets. She was trying to be helpful, and while it was good to be able to see and touch these things in person while also getting advice from someone who actually has experience with this stuff, I could feel my head spinning. Why does picking out baby stuff have to be so complicated, I thought to myself. Why can’t someone else do all this for me? While we generally believe that having choices is the best, sometimes, there are just SO many choices to make, especially in the baby department, that the entire process becomes so exhausting. When our other friend suggested going into shops to look at purses and accessories, I could feel immediate relief. There’s no stress looking at handbags or earrings, especially when compared to picking out the right stroller or crib for your baby to ensure optimal safety.