When we first got to the tenderloin, I immediately noticed the sudden change from middle-class storefronts and businesses to a seemingly more 'seedy' environment, what some would call a ghetto. I realized, walking the visible border between the tenderloin and the rest of San Francisco that this area was a literal containment center.

They had advice for us; they wanted us to draw from their experiences and learn from them. I think they really wanted to talk to us as much as we wanted to hear from them.

She was so smart and I learned a lot. She made me become more aware of myself and the things around me; observation and action simultaneously. Doing something so long as you are doing something. That you fluctuate and change but you are still yourself. I am spoiled and I want to change things. They know what they want to be changed. I want to help.

The thing that affected me the most was seeing and thinking about the kids who have to live and grow up in this area. It makes me feel so fortunate to have what I have and be able to have a childhood when kids here have to grow up at a very young age. Another thing was how friendly and happy one can be yet still be homeless.

To be honest, I feel like I am coming out more naïve than when I came in. I really had a blast and I felt like an accepted member of the community here or at least a welcome guest.

It was good to keep people company who probably don't get much company.

Perhaps the term homeless is a misnomer, because people who live on the street make their homes here. We have learned to keep a private bubble around us in public spaces, but we are walking through someone's home when we walk down the street.