Walking from Balboa Park to Petco Park in San Diego
After finishing my walk through the peaceful, European-style park I visited earlier, I decided to walk toward Petco Park downtown. The weather in San Diego in early January was absolutely incredible for walking. The sky was cloudless and blue, and the air was just cool enough—perfect conditions for a slow stroll.
I left the park and started walking across a large bridge. In the distance, I could see the skyline where tall buildings and towering palm trees blended together, creating a pretty spectacular view in the sunlight.
Below the bridge, a massive highway cutting through San Diego stretched out wide and clear. Looking down at the cars speeding by, it really hit me once again that I was in the vast country of America.
After crossing the bridge, I followed a path connecting residential areas and parks. I saw an empty neighborhood baseball field, and its blue benches and green grass looked so peaceful. I wondered if the locals gather here to throw a ball around on weekends.
As I kept walking, buildings with a more urban feel started getting closer. I happily made my way along a neatly maintained street lined with large trees and clear bike lane markings. My legs were already starting to feel a bit stiff, but it was so fun looking around that I just kept going.
The further I went into the city, the more public transit I noticed. I saw a red bus stopped at a station, and I stared at it in fascination because it was a two-car articulated bus, which is hard to find in Korea.
However, as I entered the heart of downtown, the atmosphere changed drastically. Tents started appearing one by one on the empty lots and sidewalks across the street, eventually forming an entire tent city. On such a beautiful day, the sight of homeless tents contrasting with the stunning modern buildings felt so out of place that it gave me a bizarre feeling.
Why are there so many homeless people in a rich country like the US, and why are they all living in tents on the street? Whether they were pushed out because housing prices are too high or because of drug issues, seeing the endless row of tents along the road just made me wonder how anyone could live there.
As I passed by the tent city, I even encountered someone who couldn't control their body, looking like a fentanyl zombie. In that moment, I felt a sudden threat to my safety and froze up. Terrified of making eye contact, I stared at the ground and speed-walked away as fast as I could. I didn't even dare to take a picture, and I barely even registered the red tram passing by me.
Panting as I walked, the massive Petco Park stadium finally appeared right in front of me. The moment I saw the light brown bricks and the giant Padres logo, the intense tension finally broke, and a wave of relief washed over me.
I was glad to have safely arrived at the San Diego home stadium, but the entire walk felt like a roller coaster ride. Korea has a homeless problem too, but they are mostly concentrated in places like Seoul Station, and I think Korea is much better off in this regard, at least because many homeless individuals there try to improve their situations. When walking through downtown areas, the atmosphere can change rapidly depending on the block, so I highly recommend taking an Uber if possible. Or maybe I'm just making a big fuss because I've only ever lived in very safe places.