San Fran

4/25/13-4/26/13

I've been in San Francisco two whole days now.  Those days have been made up by hours, obviously, that have been made up by moments, obviously.  But those moments have been some of the most unique and freeing moments that I can remember.  Traveling alone isn't just empowering, it's liberating.  Nowhere I need to be, nothing I need to do, no one I need to be.  I'll turn the corner and behold some grandiose or breath-taking scene and I'll smile so wide or even laugh out loud.  I'm that girl; the wide-eyed-shit-eating-grin-on-her-face girl.  Yesterday I walked east to west through Golden Gate Park.  Saw the de Young, the Japanese Tea Garden, the Academy of Science, followed tiny trails leading to secret gardens, saw the big Lake teeming with wildlife, and when I appeared on the other side by a giant windmill, I saw the ocean, the waves breaking on the beach, crashing on the cliffs, and I laughed out loud.

People living in San Fran have it all.  Parks around every corner, parks you can get lost in, that block the noise of the city so all you can hear are the birds singing.  There's culture here, diversity, Chinatown, Japantown, Little Italy, any socioeconomic status you could come up with within a matter of blocks.  There's museums, art galleries, shopping, fine dining, dive bars and hole in the walls that serve the best street tacos and margaritas north of Mexico (Don Pisto's).  Oh, and there's the ocean, the vast expanse of blue that reminds us time goes on forever or some profound metaphor like that.  Yep, they have it all.

Some highlights thus far:

Walking from Pier 39 to Fort Mason park --> ocean views, people watching.

Meeting up with Lisa Dierof 

--> tour of the Golden Gate Bridge, 

the de Young museum, meeting her inspiring family, seeing her childhood home, being totally awestruck and inspired at a community garden.  Her father helped found the urban community gardens here (there are over 50 in the city).

Trying to roll up Kevin's broken car window --> I laughed so hard my stomach ached.

General feeling of doing things on my own --> Making my own decisions, navigating a new city, finding places I want to go and getting there.

Walking from Lombard & Stockton in a huge figure 8 -->  Walked up the crookedess street (maybe in the world) to Nob Hill (maybe the steepest hill in the world?) to Haight and Ashbury, Alamo Square was the best spot to stop and lookout over the city and eat last night's pizza, then straight west all the way through GG park, then north up the beach to Lands End with a gorgeous view of the GG Bridge.  Then bussing it to Chinatown and walking home.  I walked a total of 8 hours, probably covered, I donno, 10 miles?  Finished up the day with the best street tacos I've ever had and 3.5 margaritas at Don Pisto's (Leah's favorite place.  The bartender knows her so he kept sliding margaritas over to us).  Finished the night laughing my ass off with my very best childhood friend.