After an enriching weekend (see recent post titled 'Reunion'), we arrived safely in San Francisco, CA yesterday afternoon. A six hour flight from Charlotte was all it took to get back to the West Coast and here we have been on the road for the past 12 days, spending very many hours to make it to where we stand today. Although we are thankful for the Wright Brothers and their commitment to inventing the airplane, we would never change the many moments of 'in-betweenness' that driving brings. Looking back, we likely would never have met so many unbelievable people in gas stations. Ok, moving on.
Upon arrival, we found our exhausted beings immediately rejuvenated by the thrilling city of San Francisco. From dancing the cha cha slide with women in Chinatown's Washington Square (see video below) to sharing a Twix bar with a paraplegic outside of Walgreens, we are back in mission mode- working to find ourselves in situations we would never experience otherwise.
Today, we decided to walk instead of take public transportation which gave us the opportunity to 1) work out our calves on the hilliest streets we have ever walked on and 2) get a feel for the various neighborhoods within the city. With each new place, we found immense diversity, intricate architecture, and a certain swag (this is a positive thing).
There were beautiful pastel rowhouses (think Mrs. Doubtfire) mixed with hole in the wall coffee joints, super modern apartment buildings, thrift shops, and a plethora of places to get a mean burrito (#america). We did our best to say hello to those we passed by and with little effort, we grasped some inspiring participants for the selfless stranger project (if you are still confused on what it is, read the "about" page under the tab: "from:me to:you//the selfless stranger project). Every person we passed today was so unbelievably and beautifully unique. A man in leopard print. Cyclists. Wealthy tech men. Juice & yoga addicts. A women rocking green hair. Many homeless people with their grocery carts. Giants Fans. Dog walkers. Street musicians. The list goes on. The only place where we did not get a good sense of the local inhabitants was when we waltzed over to Fisherman's Warf. We knew this pier was the definition of a tourist trap when Hannah paid $67.39 for two hats and three stickers to place on Rhonda. With that being said, the number of people we saw and spoke with was refreshing in some ways, sparking some energy in our jet-lagged legs. From exploring around to the beat of 200 barking seals, to getting lost in a maze full of mirrors, to a quick stop in the bayside aquarium, the day was filled with spontaneity, zest and some true Californian culture. For those interested in seeing a bit more of postgraditude's day, please enjoy the video below or click here if the connection below is lame.
Upon arrival, we found our exhausted beings immediately rejuvenated by the thrilling city of San Francisco. From dancing the cha cha slide with women in Chinatown's Washington Square (see video below) to sharing a Twix bar with a paraplegic outside of Walgreens, we are back in mission mode- working to find ourselves in situations we would never experience otherwise.
Today, we decided to walk instead of take public transportation which gave us the opportunity to 1) work out our calves on the hilliest streets we have ever walked on and 2) get a feel for the various neighborhoods within the city. With each new place, we found immense diversity, intricate architecture, and a certain swag (this is a positive thing).
There were beautiful pastel rowhouses (think Mrs. Doubtfire) mixed with hole in the wall coffee joints, super modern apartment buildings, thrift shops, and a plethora of places to get a mean burrito (#america). We did our best to say hello to those we passed by and with little effort, we grasped some inspiring participants for the selfless stranger project (if you are still confused on what it is, read the "about" page under the tab: "from:me to:you//the selfless stranger project). Every person we passed today was so unbelievably and beautifully unique. A man in leopard print. Cyclists. Wealthy tech men. Juice & yoga addicts. A women rocking green hair. Many homeless people with their grocery carts. Giants Fans. Dog walkers. Street musicians. The list goes on. The only place where we did not get a good sense of the local inhabitants was when we waltzed over to Fisherman's Warf. We knew this pier was the definition of a tourist trap when Hannah paid $67.39 for two hats and three stickers to place on Rhonda. With that being said, the number of people we saw and spoke with was refreshing in some ways, sparking some energy in our jet-lagged legs. From exploring around to the beat of 200 barking seals, to getting lost in a maze full of mirrors, to a quick stop in the bayside aquarium, the day was filled with spontaneity, zest and some true Californian culture. For those interested in seeing a bit more of postgraditude's day, please enjoy the video below or click here if the connection below is lame.
Today we find graditude in the sun peaking through the clouds (evidently this city is predominantly foggy), a choreographed dance with those outside our immediate crew, and getting back to our main purpose.