I made my flight and ended up getting the very last seat on the plane so generally, all is well. I got to San Francisco and made my way by BART to Union Square to check in to my hostel. I'm pretty directionally challenged so after picking up a transit map, checking my Google Maps, and confirming with a fellow rider that I was indeed heading the right direction, I was off! I must have still looked anxious because my new friend also made sure to tell me when to get off...thank you kind stranger!
I had done some hostel research on the plane, asked FB where I should stay and voila! I chose the downtown hostel from Hostels International to be my home for the next 4 days. Checking in to the hostel was a bit like arriving to camp. There were 2 bunks taken but they weren't there so I speculated as to who they might be and when I might have the chance to meet them. I was assigned bed 4 (Top bunk! SCORE!) and I wondered if bed 3 would arrive today. I was settling in and was feeling thankful I had my sleeping bag roll for Ragnar since it appeared the plastic coated mattress and comforter were it for bedding. I went over to Starbucks to make a couple of calls and get ready for the webinar I was hosting. When I returned, my new bunk mate had arrived...and she had very little interest in being my friend. (Dang it! School flashbacks for a minute and that story my mom won't stop telling of me coming off of the bus after my first day of kindergarten upset that not everyone liked me. Truth be told, some of them were real jerks and I didn't like them either!) I checked out the rest of the hostel - lounge area, communal kitchen, movie room. There were far more groups in the hostel than I expected, several families, a lot more older travelers than I would have thought. It was an interesting mix of ages and blends of languages throughout the hallways. Everything was pretty quiet as people were either doing their own thing or they had come with large groups already. Where was the hostel environment I had been told to embrace?? I wanted to make new friends and hear stories of where people had been; find out what they were planning for the day ahead. Instead, I met a retired teacher from Minnesota. I was pretty worn out from the lack of sleep, day of travel, time zone change and uncertainty of the day so I headed to my room to watch Mindy Project on my laptop and fall asleep...at 930pm.I had really big plans for Tuesday - get up early and write a blog entry (OOPS!) while drinking coffee in the lounge with my fellow travelers, work for a bit, and then go for a 5 mile run to the Golden Gate bridge. I'd have a lunch in a park there and take the bus back to the hostel to shower and get ready for the day.
Reality: I tossed and turned all night (now bed 3 was NEVER going to like me!) and was awake at 4am, worked on a video project for my friends, and went back to sleep at 6am making it impossible to get out of bed before 830am....had some coffee in the lounge area and chatted running with a girl who was in town for the Nike Marathon last weekend until she checked out. I eventually got out for my run led by Siri so I would not get lost and tack on extra miles (directionally challenged!). Siri did not design the prettiest route available but it was functional and led me down to the bay. As soon as I got there, I stopped. The views of the bridge, the bay, Alcatraz were perfect! I just soaked it in for a bit and then walked back towards Fort Mason to find lunch at a cafe and figure out my bus route back to the hostel. When I headed towards the area to grab a bus, I encountered a gorgeous park and I could see Ghiridelli Square so I decided to check things out. I ended up walking awhile just taking in the bay, the piers, and the beautiful sunshine. I kept walking and happened upon Fisherman's Wharf which both excited me and instantly bummed me out that I had already eaten lunch! It was a great time of exploration, getting a little silly after being by myself for so long (yes, 12 hours with no conversation is a LONG time!), and reflection. The thing I realized is that I was having fun! It was 330pm before I decided that I probably should start heading back to the hostel and get out of my running clothes and join the world of the showered and dressed. By this point I was only about 1.5 miles from my hostel so I decided to walk back and see what else I could take in. I hit Lombard street, found a few coffee shops/restaurants that looked interesting, and felt a little less challenged by my surroundings. I was pretty much ready to take on the world! Here's a recap of my day:
