StiltestadThis was my first Thanksgiving ever. Unfortunately most of the restaurants were closed and we ended up ordering pizza. So no turkey for me. But that’s OK. I got something way better:

Silence.

San Francisco had turned into a serious ghost town this Thursday. Shops were closed, windows were dark; people were in hiding. No car driving on the street below my window. There was no one. Of course Fisherman’s Wharf was filled with people, but two blocks out and you could feel the emptiness again. I could hear my footsteps, my breathing. I could look as far as the end of the street and see every stone on the sidewalk without feet stepping on them. I could almost hear my own thoughts.

It was exciting and scary at the same time. It was thrilling to be in such an unnatural setting of a deserted city. It was nothing from what I expected.

It was a great Thanksgiving. So here’s a thanks to that: the silenced city.