I bounced my knees in excited anticipation. I tried to look out the windows, leaning both forward and backward to see around my neighbors, but I was seated in the center of the plane. I couldn’t see the skyline of the city I had watched disappear into the horizon eleven months ago, but blue skies peeked through the row of tiny windows and I couldn’t contain my smile. The plane touched down gracefully and the pilot announced it was a beautiful day in San Francisco. It took every ounce of self control I possessed to stop myself from standing up in my seat and announcing to the plane of weary passengers: “HONEY, I’M HOOOOOME!”
I hadn’t slept a wink on the plane and had taken a red-eye. I had skipped an entire night of sleep, but there was no way I wanted to go home straight to bed. Now that I live in Korea, it’s safe to say I’m a tourist in California, and what trip through San Francisco would be complete without photos of the Golden Gate Bridge? My dad and I stopped at the lookout on the northern side of the bridge and, aside from a slight haze, the weather was gorgeous.
For lunch we stopped in at a brewpub restaurant in Novato called Hopmonk Tavern and I had my first meal back on American soil: a Philly cheese steak sandwich with a locally brewed double IPA. Heaven!
Finally we arrived home and I succumbed to sleep–for 14 hours straight! For the last five days I’ve been visiting with family, battling jet lag, and consuming as much Mexican food as humanly possible. Tomorrow I take a road trip down the California coast to see my friends and I’ll be doing as many “touristy” things as I have time for. I plan to go to Los Angeles to check out the Getty Museum and the foodie hub of Grand Central Market, cruise through Malibu and up the scenic Highway 1, catch some surf in Ventura, and revisit all my favorite hiking spots and restaurants in Santa Barbara. Oh, and drink ALL the wine. That’ll be happening, too.
Follow my California adventures!
I’ll try to keep the blog updated as I go, but check out my Instagram to stay up-to-date with my California travels!
Hello, is there a name for the viewing spot where you took the selfie with your dad? Im about to visit SF and want that view of the bridge in a photo. 🙂
Hi Justin, I think it was at the viewpoint on the north side of the bridge, I think it’s called Battery Spencer. It’s a beautiful spot if the weather’s nice. Enjoy! 🙂