Three large mounds of various items sat on my desk at my parents’ house. These items were what I'd be packing for my trip. What I’d be carrying with me on my upcoming adventures. These items represented my life for the next four months. I spent the morning checking and re-checking these materials, with the implicit thought that by staring at these items, I would be able to remember something else that I might need, something I wouldn't be able to acquire once abroad.
Clothes? Check. Electronics? Check. Paperwork? Check. Toiletries? Actually, those were still in the bathroom since I needed them. BUT I'd make sure to pack them!
Clothes? Oh wait! I already checked those😐
I was 90% sure I had everything. But as someone with lifelong inattentive ADHD, I always tried to check twice. Sometimes three times. Sometimes four times... And sometimes five ti- OKAY! I really needed a break.
I pushed off from my chair, stumbled to the front door, and walked outside. I needed a heavy dose of vitamin D. Instead I felt a cool spray of water on my head. I looked up. Raining already? I thought it wouldn't happen until tomorrow. I looked into the horizon, or at least, as much of the horizon as I could make out. It was a foggy, cold, wet day in Northern California. Still, better than the midwest U.S.A., where temperatures were below 0 degrees fahrenheit.
I stood there for about 5 minutes, just staring and letting my mind wander aimlessly, until my brain finally reached a conscious decision. I guess it was as good a time as any to test out my new mini camera!
The drive up to San Francisco took about an hour. There was some rain, but not so much that I was hydroplaning my way up to the city. Look on the bright side, I told myself. Because of the rain, there will be ample parking! Nobody will want to be out walking right now.
I had one goal for this day. Take a picture, and put it on social media, and officially mark the beginning of the trip. Throughout my life, I had never been great at taking pictures of any events I had taken part in, and when asked by friends and family for pictures, I’d often come up empty handed. But not this time! I was determined to document my experiences this time! I would finally become a true millennial! (Or Gen Z… I’m actually not sure which one I am)
As soon as I arrived at Golden Gate park, I was blocked from the main parking lot by a large tour bus, with at least 30 chinese tourists pouring out of it, with cameras, backpacks, and children in tow. I looked at the rest of the parking lot and saw it was jam packed. What were these people thinking? Walking around and taking pictures. Didn’t they realize it was raining heavily?
I finally found parking at the eastern lot down the road ¼ mile. I put on my boots and pulled out my camera. Time to walk around and take pictures.
I had to give myself credit for picking out the right rain gear. The drizzle was non-stop, but I still felt pretty dry. I triumphantly stepped in a puddle with my new Hoka boots, and didn’t feel the dreaded feeling of my socks absorbing moisture. Good to know I was all set for the European winter!
As I was walking up the pedestrian path towards the bridge, I felt a sense of tranquility. I gazed at the bridge, which I could barely make out due to the fog. This was home base; my starting point, and after four months, this would also be my ending point. I’ve left the United States of America before, but never for such a prolonged period of time. I whipped out my camera and snapped a photo. My first official picture for the trip! Which would go on the blog! Both my literal journey, and my social media journey had begun!
My moment of tranquility lasted for another 60 seconds, and was immediately shattered when I set foot on the Golden Gate Bridge. In all my pondering and wondering, I had forgotten just how utterly overwhelming the bridge was. I felt an immediate assault to all of my senses. Trucks and cars flew by, which prevented me from listening to my music, and the wind and rain relentlessly blew into my face. And it turned out, I wasn’t the only crazy person walking on the bridge. In fact, it was CROWDED, with tourists, and runners, and families all walking around taking selfies. Not quite the majestic start to my vacation I had imagined.
Somehow, I managed to walk across the entire length, and then turned around and made it back.
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