Staying in San Francisco for over a week was incredibly good for my soul. I needed to be around people who I loved, and who knew me so well, and that’s just what I got. From the moment I arrived in Kentfield, a suburb of SF - just north of the Golden Gate Bridge, I was quickly surrounded by people such as Derek and his wife Jess, Nick and his brother Alex, and Drew – each having known me since my early 20’s. When you move to a new city after college and don’t know anyone, your friends become your family, and each of the people I spent time with in SF were (and are) my family.
There is Derek, who was my first boss at my first job in SF: dependable, loyal, stubborn, smart, and always smiling. He married Jess, who also worked at the same company. They now have three beautiful girls, each cuter than the next.
Then there is Nick and Alex – brothers from Louisiana. Both are incredibly intelligent, kind, and loyal. Alex actually offered me his old apt to stay in for the week I was in town, so it was great to have my own place for the week. Nick is the older brother, and he and I worked together with Derek and Jess at our first job in SF. Nick has an insane amount of knowledge on just about anything, and I always feel lucky to sit down and speak with him about life, love, cars, politics, and just about anything. Both brothers went to high school in Louisiana with a guy named Drew, who also moved to SF around the same time, and who's become a great friend of mine. Drew has the energy of ten men, and is one of the more positive and fun people I've ever met - always an uplifting experience to be around him and his insanity.
I got to see my cousin Chris, his wife Gale, and their daughter Zoey at their home in Mill Valley, which is just north of the Golden Gate Bridge. Chris is my mom's oldest sister's oldest son, and he and I got very close when I was living in SF. He truly became a part of my inner family at that point in my life, and now I can't imagine not having him and his family in my life. Chris is strong willed, smart, witty, and an extremely hard worker. He's easy to be around and so is his wife Gale, who is quirky, funny, caring, and very sweet. Zoey is about 12 now and it's been great to see her grow up - she's a great kid with a great heart.
I spent a great evening with an old boss and great mentor/friend Paul, and his wife Caroline. They have two children, Hoffman and Phoebe, and it was fun to hear about how they are doing in school and in their sports. Hoffman is a soccer and baseball prodigy, so it's great to hear how well he's doing. We went out to dinner in downtown Mill Valley, which was fun and great. After dinner the kids passed out and we adults stayed up and laughed through the night. Paul is an incredibly interesting guy, and although he's done very well in business he has maintained a humble and kind nature. I love being around him, and his wife and kids couldn't be more adorable and sweet. They are truly part of my family here in SF, and it was special to have this time with them at their home.
Once in the city I was staying at Alex's amazing apartment in Pacific Heights, which is one of the nicest neighborhoods in SF. Just outside his door you can see Alcatraz, The Golden Gate Bridge, and the Bay. So amazing to be back in the city that grew so beautifully inside me while I was here. It was emotional at times, remembering all the beauty that was my life here...knowing that it will never be the same. My ex-girlfriend Brooke moved back to the city recently with her new husband, and it was surreal being in the city knowing she was there. I didn't reach out to her because I know it will only cause pain to her and to me, but regardless I thought of her daily while I was there. She is an amazing woman and I hope she is happy and loving being back in the city. I rode my bike all over the city, which is something I always did while I lived here, and it was great to see all the new changes and many of the same old things that haven't changed a bit. Such is life.
I had lunch downtown with my old coworker and good friend Dan, who now works with another SF buddy of mine Brian. Ironic that they now work together at Brian's company, because at one point Brian was considering working with me and Dan at our last company. Both guys are very smart and are doing great things in digital media. We had lunch at a mediterranean place called Baladie, which was one of my favorite lunch spots when I first moved to SF. Glad to know this place is still there and doing well. Food was just as good...
One of my greatest joys was to spend time with Tom and Stephanie, who were my sister and brother when I was in SF. Tom moved to SF around the same time as me, and we partied like there was no tomorrow, but after a few years he decided to move. Tom ended up working at his friend's Spring Break company, and he was the guy that welcomed new partiers to Jamaica when they came into town. Stephanie grew up in a small town in Missouri and she had never even seen an ocean, let alone another country, before she decided to go on Spring Break with her friends from Central Missouri State during her junior year of college. Tom was the greeter that met her and her group, telling them all the party's to attend, and by the end of Stephanie's week in Jamaica she decided to stay with Tom. Yes, she went to spring break and never went home. Unreal. Spontaneity at it's finest. Passionate. Love. Tom and Steph then moved back to SF and we became inseparable. I was there when Tom proposed to Steph, and I was the officiant at their marriage on the Russian River just north of SF. They are creative, fun, beautiful, smart, and above all - dependable. I can't imagine life without them in it. We hung at their place, went to the park with their friends, out to a fun art/music event, and just spent quality time.
I had a great dinner with Karen, who is one of my favorite people of all time. She's high energy, passionate, creative, smart, and fun as hell. We had a fantastic dinner at this place I kept hearing about - Tony's - in North Beach, which is the Italian neighborhood of SF. Karen has had a tough time finding the right man, but I know it will happen soon. She's too great not to be found by a good man.
Maya is another friend who I was able to grab lunch with while in the city. She was living in NYC, but just recently moved to SF and is loving the change (though she's realized she will likely move back east eventually). We met a few years ago when we were both in Vegas, but since then we've become close friends. She's smart, funny, hard working, and easy to be around. It was great to see her and hear about her new boyfriend, who she's excited about.
I spent a full day with my college roommate Jim, his wife Ellie, and their little boy JJ. This is the same Jim that played Bandon Dunes with me a few weeks ago, so it was great to see him again so soon. His wife Ellie is one of the most beautiful, smart, and gentle woman I've ever met. JJ is about 10 months old and I've never seen a more smiley baby. He's gonna be fun to watch grow up. Jim and Ellie are house-hunting right now, so we drove around to a few neighborhoods in SF on a Sunday going to open houses. Great times. I felt lucky to be here during this huge time in their lives, and the houses were fun to check out.
A drove back across the Golden Gate Bridge to the port town of Sausalito, where my friends Drew and Liz live with their little baby boy. They have one of the most beautiful apartments overlooking the Bay - great to be at their home and meet their new baby boy. Luckily my friend Linda, who is also friends with Liz and Drew, was in from London, so she joined us for an amazing home cooked meal (Drew is a great chef). Tons of laughs with this crew!
My mom came in from NJ and we had one of the most amazing nights out I've had all year. We decided to do a "dinner crawl", which is the same concept as a "bar crawl" but you go to different restaurants for each course in your meal. What a blast! We started at Hog Island Oyster Bar in the Ferry Building, overlooking the Bay Bridge, where we had oysters and wine with my buddy Nick. Great conversation ensued, covering topics such as government, cars, family, and travels. I was happy that my mom got to see Nick - such good peeps. After our appetizer we continued on our own to Trattoria Contadina, which is one of our all time favorite Italian spots in the city. My mom came to visit me when I did my first Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon, and we took a bunch of people here for dinner after my race, so it was a great place to reminisce (not to mention the food is amazing). After dinner we walked up Columbus Avenue in North Beach, and found a place to grab some dessert (don't remember the name, but it was goooood). Such a perfect way to begin my mom's time in SF with me. The next morning we got up early and then my friend Michael met us for a round of golf at Peacock Gap Golf Club, which is about 20 minutes north of SF. I used to play this course a bunch when I lived in SF, so it was fun to get out and see it again. My mom played AMAZING! She actually tied me on the front nine holes. So impressive. After golf we had lunch in Sausalito, which is the cutest little tourist town on the Bay. My cousin's wife Gale, and her daughter Zoey met us and then we went back to their home to relax and hang out for the afternoon. Before heading back to the city we stopped at my friend's Bernie (Bernadette) and Todd's home, where Todd was making pizza's for dinner while everyone watched the SF Giants in the World Series. Bernie went to college with Tom, and so Tom and Stephanie were there as well. Always nice to have my SF brother and sister in the mix. Bernie and Todd have a little girl and a little boy, so it was fun to see them running around and having a blast. What a great night.
It was more than special for me to be back in SF. I've often thought about this city as my second home, and part of me thinks I may move back there someday. It's so beautiful, and has so many great things within close proximity (skiing, wine country, etc). Seeing my friends and being with my mom out there really reminded me of how important this city was for me and my growth. I will never lose sight of how much I love this place, and I'll definitely be back soon...
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