When I was a child, like most children, I took a lot of things for granted. Some of those things, things that I never thought I would lose (like my Nonna’s hugs and her amazing cooking), I sadly cannot ever get back. Other things, things that I am still lucky enough to have in my life, I try to appreciate every day. One of those things is the place where I live. It was often pointed out to me when I was young that I was very lucky to live in one of the most beautiful places in the world: the San Francisco Bay Area. It took me quite a few years to see that for myself.