SFO: Walk, Eat, Shop, Repeat

San Francisco beckoned, and who was I to decline? After a stressful year at work, an impromptu trip to a foreign land was what I desperately needed. I am extremely lucky to be able to just get up and leave on such short notice. I know I may not always have that privilege. Thankfully, I had too many leaves to spare, and work begrudgingly agreed to let me go (no way i am checking those emails, thank you very much).

This trip is a first of many for me. This is probably the closest i ever got to traveling by myself apart from a couple of business trips here and there. It wasn't as daunting as I initially thought it would be. Being a spontaneous trip that it was, I really didn't get the chance to make any plans, which means i can go wherever I want, take as much time as I need, and do whatever i feel like doing for that day. Which was walk, shop and eat, basically.

Bay Bridge at Night

Historic streetcar

No need to show off a beautiful sunset San Francisco. I'm already impressed.

Walk.

I walked everywhere.

Embarcadero to Fisherman's Wharf to the Golden Gate Bridge.

Chinatown, North Beach, Coit Tower to Embarcedero.

Alamo Square to the Haight District to the Golden Gate Park (I didn't quite make it inside the park and was deterred by the sight of panhandlers congregating by the entrance).

Union Square to Lombard Street.

Castro to the 24th Street of the Mission District.

I've cursed the bloody hilly streets of San Francisco a few times, but enjoyed every minute of it! Of course that's after i traded my wedge booties with a new pair of Nikes i specifically had to buy for my suffering feet (since when did gym clothes become street wear, btw?). Never mind that I look like a typical tourist, with my comfortable shoes and huge ass camera.

Embarcadero to Golden Gate Bridge Run

Embarcadero

Transamerica Pyramid

The funky Haight-Ashbury

Painted Ladies

Lovin all the murals at Mission District

Shop.

Well, the Australian dollar exchange rate wasn't really working in my favour, so shopping wasn't as much fun as it could've been. But then again, i haven't done much shopping in actual stores these days that i find it quite a treat (I've got people bringing me shoes to try on!) Staying at the Union Square area made it so convenient. There's Macy's, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Westfield, Bloomingdales and Saks, to name a few. So when I wasn't out walking or running or eating, I window shopped. Now i know what a housewife must feel like!

Eat.

San Francisco has changed my mind about the American food scene. The West Coast is not all about In and Out Burger and Cheesecake Factory (although I tried those too. Shake Shack is still the winner for me). San Francisco is a food haven! It reminded me so much of Melbourne and Sydney. People actually queue up for brunch, and alfresco dining is a thing. I think one of the main reasons why I enjoyed San Francisco food so much is because i actually went out of my way to find good food. When traveling, I usually eat wherever i happen to be hungry, which is more often than not, right in the middle of a famous landmark surrounded by tourist traps. This time, i had all the time in the world, and i can afford to wait in line for an hour for breakfast. San Francisco is also such a small place that's it easy enough to walk, or take a cab (oh my god, Uber is so cheap here!) to a nice restaurant. Some of my favourites are Waterbar at Embarcadero, Brenda's and Bar Crudo near Alamo Square, Hog Island Oyster, and the farmer's market at the Ferry Building, and breakfast at Mission Beach Cafe and Mama's at Washington Square. A city that has $1 oysters for happy hour, 30 craft beers on tap, and ah-mazing seafood is good on my book.

Glorious seafood and just the right amount of pork at Hog Island Oyster

Raw food at Bar Crudo

Oysters galore

Now it's pretty normal for me to imagine living in each city I visited. While it's also typical for me to say I wish I could live there, San Francisco, in all pragmatic purposes, is definitely a city i can imagine myself living in. Good food, plenty of tech jobs, good weather, it's a great city for running, and plenty of nearby places to explore (i don't like the ridiculous rent though). The chances of moving are not too far off, and if the opportunity ever presented itself, I may have to think long and hard about leaving my beloved Sydney behind (only for a short time. I still love you Oz).

More photos here.