TLDR: Had an offer to relocate to Sillicon Valley, refused because of the poor/homeless people all around.

Full version:

A couple of years ago I had this offer to relocate to Sillicon Valley to work at my company's new office there. H1B visa, great salary, incredible project, a dream come true.

I live in Barcelona and there are few cities in the world which can compete with the Barcelona package, even during times of 'crisis' - great climate, beautiful architecture, laid back lifestyle and great cuisine.

San Francisco was one of those cities and I didn't want to miss the opportunity now that I had it. And Sillicon Valley - it's like coming to the centre of the tech world where history is being forged.

So I came over to explore and see if it makes sense to relocate.

It was my first time visiting the United States and I was so excited !

I had Scott McKenzie playing in my headphones when my train arrived in San Francisco. It was an emotional moment and I almost felt bad that I didn't have a flower in my hair :).

It felt incredible to be there. People were smiling and saying 'Hello', there were techies everywhere and the city looked very nice indeed. I went to Haight Ashbury and then the Golden Gate park, some guy offered me a joint and I just sat there listening to drummers and looking at the great, powerful oak (? pine ?) trees surrounding me.

The air, the drums, the joint put me in a state of trance and I felt as if the city started speaking to me - "Come here, in here there is power, this is the place to be if you want to change the world'. I've felt it's power, I felt it's might, I've felt that it's now or never.

But there was something else in it's tone. A kind of strange arrogance and slight bullying, a kind of 'either you're with me or get the fuck out of here' kind of vibe.

At first I didn't give it much thought when I saw the homeless people - drunks, addicts, ex cons, whatever... But then I started to notice that there's lots of them in the city and as it started to get dark, the streets became filled with these people - fucked up, strange and scary, outcasts, abandoned, ignored, useless... I almost ran back to the train station.

The next days that I stayed there I couldn't help but see homeless and the poor people everywhere and I just couldn't comprehend it.

How is it possible that the place were the greatest fortunes are made is filled with so many poor people ? I mean, I know it's their lives and they're responsible for that... but still ? Why did they get to this state ? Is the society there so 'cruel' that you either make it or fuck off ?

How come there are no homeless (or at least bum-looking) people in Barcelona ?

This contradiction was one of the reasons that I refused the offer to relocate. I can't explain it rationally - rational people don't base their decisions on such ridiculous details - but nevertheless it's been a big factor in my decision.

But there is food for thought there.

That said, I still want to come back to San Francisco and Sillicon Valley, seems like there's so much to explore there. And I know I will, probably soon and maybe then I will be able to understand it better.
But for now, it's in my list of mysteries.