No. Why did July 6 have to come so fast?! The only thing I don't enjoy about traveling is the flight back home. It's back to reality and no fun is involved with that!
I figured I'd take advantage of my last day in San Fran, so I woke up early and hit the freeway by myself again to see the city one last time, but this time I wasn't alone.
The Irishman I met on the Wharf accompanied me for the day and we toured the Wharf more in depth. He took me to Pier 39 (http://www.pier39.com/) I got to see all of the shops and restaurants that'd I'd missed on my own. We stopped in one of many of the tourist shops and ran straight to the back where there was a mini hat shop. It was such a fun time trying on different, crazy hats. He made me feel like a kid again!
For lunch we stopped at WipeOut Bar & Grille (www.wipeoutbarandgrill.com) located near the entrance of Pier 39. I ordered one of their Surfin' Sandwiches with a side of corn chips instead of french fries. The food was fabulous and very satisfying, however, the service wasn't all too great. I ordered a glass of fruit juice and the waiter never brought it. I wasn't craving it that bad, so I figured I wouldn't bother asking again. The space to eat was cramped and the tables were small, we actually had to put things on the ground to make room for our plates. I would recommend the restuarant for its good quality of food, however, just be prepared for possible service and space problems.
The day continued with a walk along the Wharf and with constant conversation about our travels, both past and future, and fun encounters with vendors and people on the street. He took me to his favorite park spot in Ghiradelli Square and we sat and looked out into the Bay. People were actually swimming in the water! The mini beachfront was deceiving and I was tempted myself to jump in the water. I would have froze! The sun was shining and the wind was blowing and we were making great conversation about our life and our goals. There is something about European men that I seem to flow well with, especially their compassion and deepness of mind, body, and soul. His cute accent didn't hurt either! :) He allowed me to experience something in San Francisco that I never thought I would. He opened my heart to see the world that is at my fingertips if only I choose to take advantage of it. The fact that he left his home for the summer to travel and work abroad inspired me and proved to me that it is possible.
He was such a sweet guy! He rode back with me all the way to Malbrae, where I parked my car at the bart station. The ride lasted about a half hour and we listened to his iPod, which suprisingly enough had all of my favorite artists on it : Coldplay, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Maroon 5, John Legend, Leona Lewis, Frank Sinatra, etc. I was in heaven! An incredible Irishman and some of my favorite music all in the city of San Francisco.
Did I rrrrrrreally have to leave? Just when things were beginning for me. Seriously?
I drove home from the station with a deep sadness but I wasn't sure if it was because I left the city, a great guy or a new part of myself is emerging from within that I've never known existed.
Upon my return home, I took a detour trip with my friend and some new friends to Paolo Alto where we toured the beautiful, rich neighborhood and shopping district. The town was incredible! Very Southern Californiaish with palm trees, Spanish influence, ritzy boutiques and restaurants, and hot, hot, hot weather! We stopped at the Cheesecake Factory for lunch, even though I had just eaten about 2 hours ago ;) I didn't know what to order! The menu was way too many pages and there were way too many choices for me. I settled on fresh grilled vegetables and a bun. It was somewhat of a veggie burger. I enjoyed it and of course I topped it off with a large amount of ketchup. There are a lot of vegan choices, however when I asked for a side of fruit they unfortunately couldn't accomodate because of certain reasons. I enjoyed the meal, the environment, and the company.
There were various gelateria's, coffee shops, clothing shops, and the occassional shady rug and carpet shops, but I did notice a lot of restaurants. My only wish for this town would be to try something from every restaurant because they all looked welcoming and tempting.
OK, well goodbyes took place, but the real goodbye took place as I was driving to Oakland with my friend. Everything came crashing down on me and tears began to pour out of my eyes! I didn't want to leave. I wanted her to turn around and I wanted to avoid the fact that going home would be hard and readjustments must take place.
I called home to check in with them after an emotional goodbye with my friend. We'd be seeing each other in a little more than a month, but it seemed like forever. My plane left on time and I had to do another transfer in Las Vegas that was cutting it very close time wise. I ran to catch my flight from Vegas to Philly and found myself between two older men. One bookworm and another lone traveler from upstate PA. He told stories about his home and his first plane ride to Las Vegas a week or so before. I spoke with him for a good amount of time, but really all I wanted to do was sleep!
I managed to get about 21/2 hours of sleep, but I was incredibly uncomfortable and was looking out for a guy who seemed to somewhat be stalking me since the airport haha! Oy, I just closed my eyes and prayed to get home safe and as early as possible.
We arrived earlier than expected, which seemed to be happening a lot on this trip. US Airways is on top of my recommended airline list because the service was fantastic! When we landed in Philly we had to wait a bit until the jetway could be hooked up to the plane. This was a little frustrating, but I kept my cool and patiently waited to get off.
I was off the plane and running through the airport- thank goodness I didn't check any bags! I had to catch the next train into the city and I had about 3 minutes to get to the tracks! I'm sure people were laughing at me because I was sure laughing at myself. What a crazy girl running through the airport passing people, trying to avoid knocking people over with my bags haha! Once I got to the tracks I waited for the train, hopped on, and started eating my breakfast. I had no idea what was going on and everything was a blur to me. I don't know how I got off the train, walked back to my apartment, and cleaned out my luggage all in about 2 hours before my class. I had this hidden energy that kept me going throughout the morning.
What I did manage to think about was the fact that I was back in Philly and as I rolled along down Cecil B and Broad to get to my apartment I was overcome with sadness and confusion. Why was I here? Why must I live in Philadelphia? Why can't I be somewhere else that I've dreamed of living? Someone has a plan for me and right now this is where I'm supposed to be whether I like it or not. That escape to San Francisco was exactly what I needed to rejuvenate my mind, body, and soul as a whole. It was exactly the trip I needed to take to allow me to see that I had more to live for even if it isn't meant to happen at this exact moment, there is always time in the future.
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