I Literally Left My Heart in San Francisco

… because my husband is still there and I miss him. This week is SO WEIRD with Taylor and Sym away, but thankfully they’re both getting home tomorrow and everything will be back to normal.

Anyway. San Francisco…

Sunday in SF

Friday
Our trip got off to a crummy start (for me, at least) when I inexplicably got a huge blister on my heel from my old, broken-in Uggs while walking to the train to the airport. Yes that’s right; I hurt myself BEFORE I even got to the airport! Luckily I had some sandals in my suitcase I was able to change into once we arrived at SFO.

After checking into our hotel (a Hilton which I did not like AT ALL) I dragged Taylor our shopping with me. I’ve complained on here before about how the Gap & Old Navy don’t carry maternity clothes in Canada (although as it turns out there ARE two Old Navies with maternity in the Lower Mainland, just wayyyyy out in the suburbs where I never go) so I wasn’t about to let the opportunity to find some clothes that actually fit me go to waste. I basically DECIMATED both maternity sale sections, as well as getting a few regular-priced items. I also got a non-maternity dress & sweater at Old Navy, since they actually fit me better than the maternity stuff?

After shopping and having weird experiences in a few different Walgreens while trying to buy bodywash (they keep it locked up!) we were unbelievably hungry. I had no interest in searching for a place to eat so I decided on the first place I saw: Super Duper Burger on Market Street. I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED. The burgers were DELICIOUS and they make their lemonade with brown sugar, which tastes AMAZING. I definitely want to try and recreate it at home!

Me + Burger

please note my airport mini-spa manicure; if your airport doesn’t have a mini-spa where you can get massages & your nails done I DON’T WANT TO GO TO THERE

After dinner we lazed around the hotel and I videochatted Sym goodnight. Before I left she asked me to make a video of me doing the “bedtime stuff” (our elaborate pre-bed ritual) but I didn’t have time, so I’m glad I was able to see her to wish her goodnight.

Symmie Chats

Saturday
Saturday was Taylor’s birthday! We had plans to meet a bunch of my internet ladies for brunch at Morning Due Cafe, something I was worried would be awkward but it wasn’t at all. After eating we walked up to the top of Dolores Park (which was fun in my pregnant state…) and hung out for a while before walking back down the hill to Bi-Rite Creamery for ice cream. Unfortunately the weather wasn’t amazing (cloudy, kept spitting like, five drops of rain on us) but it was still a good time.

Birthday in SF
Birthday in SF
Ladies at Bi-Rite

After ice Cream Taylor and I walked down to Valencia Street to go do the one activity he wanted to do while we were there: visit Photobooth. It’s a retail store/photography studio where they do tintype portraits. I was not at all into going, but I figured I had to indulge him since it was his birthday, and you know what? IT WAS SO COOL OMG. I think we spent the bulk of our afternoon there- we each got a portrait done and then acted as stand-ins for a picture of the two owners, so we got to have that picture too! We also got to go into the darkroom and see how the whole development process works, which was super fascinating. Taylor loves photography and talking about lenses and processes and shit, and the photographer Michael chatted with him for a billion years about it all so he was basically in heaven! BASICALLY if you are ever in SF you HAVE to go there and get your picture taken! Unfortunately Taylor still has our portraits and they haven’t sent him the digital copies yet (as far as I know) so you’ll have to wait to see them but rest assured they are AWESOME.

Birthday in SF
Taylor at Photobooth SF
Taylor at Photobooth SF

After all the walking around we’d done I was super tired, but I still had to take Taylor out for his birthday dinner. We went to Absinthe, which was really good but REALLY LOUD OH MY GOD. I think I would have enjoyed myself more if I hadn’t been so exhausted, but I was still happy to share a birthday meal with my handsome husband. I did pass out approximately one second after we got back to the hotel though.

Taylor at Absinthe

Sunday
Sunday was the day we decided to stop taking cabs everywhere and brave the public transit system to make our way out to Haight-Ashbury. In spite of Taylor trying his hardest to get us lost we successfully bought two Muni round-trip tickets and took our one train, although on the way back we didn’t scan them or whatever so like…. sorry for scamming you, San Francisco (although we didn’t use them again so technically it wasn’t scamming).

Sunday in SF

After wandering the streets & window shopping & getting shot with a nerf dart by some idiots in a second floor apartment while I was crossing the street (…) we had a snack at a random little cafe, and then found ourselves at Golden Gate Park. This is going to sound idiotic, but I was ITCHING for some nature and wide open spaces (I might live in downtown Vancouver, but please remember I grew up in the country) so spending an hour or so wandering the park was exactly what I needed to recharge (as well as exhaust myself, I hope you are sensing the theme of my trip).

Sunday in SF
Taylor in Golden Gate Park
Sunday in SF

After getting back to the hotel, Taylor went to Moscone Center to register for the convention and I stayed behind and read in bed. I actually felt really terrible that night- I think the combination of being tired all the time + being in the sun all day (it was SUPER SUNNY on Sunday) + eating too much salt did a number on me. Taylor got room service for dinner and I had like, ONE BITE of his apple crisp and that’s it. I did manage to drag myself out of bed for long enough to pack though, since I was leaving the following morning. Packing was quite a production- I had overpacked in the first place, plus I bought a ton of clothes, plus the souvenirs I bought for myself and Sym were both pillows- but somehow I managed to cram 33 pounds worth of stuff into my little carryon-sized suitcase.

Monday
Monday was weirdly sad… I was happy to be going home to see Sym and the pets, but I didn’t like leaving Taylor there by himself! Monday was also annoying because SORRY I’M NOT SORRY TO BE SAYING THIS but SFO is a disaster of an airport. Maybe YVR has spoiled me but like… why do you have to line up to use the self check-in kiosks that are located at the check-in counter with a customer service agent right there anyway? Why is there no sign telling you where security is? WHY WAS MY INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT LEAVING FORM THE DOMESTIC TERMINAL SO I HAD TO WALK ALL THE WAY ACROSS THE WHOLE FRIGGING AIRPORT???? Seeing as how I couldn’t fit my blister-causing Uggs in my suitcase and had to wear them it was really a case of adding injury to insult.

The other thing about SFO is I have literally never seen so many people just straight up miss their flights. Like sure, there were a lot of gate-changes going on, my own flight changed from gate 87 to gate 90. But here’s the thing: they ANNOUNCE the changes, and they have info screens at EVERY GATE that tell you which flight is at the gate AND which flight is going to be at that gate next. I saw one guy miss his flight to Denver because he was sitting at gate 88 instead of gate 89, like I think you can guess how far apart those gates are. I mean REALLY. I’ve also never seen so many gate agents lose their temper and straight up YELL at people! It was crazy. Lucky for me my flight was almost an hour late so I had plenty of time to sit and watch all the nonsense unfold.

After all that it was nice to get back to Vancouver, where airports make sense (they have automated customs kiosks now, you don’t even have to talk to anyone, just scan your passport & insert your declaration card and you’re free!) and I keep all my kids and dogs, although I do really wish my husband was here as well.

Sunday in SF

8 Replies to “I Literally Left My Heart in San Francisco”

    1. BUSSES ARE FOR POOR PEOPLE JENNIFER. jk, but they don’t have maternity at Park Royal, only Guildford & Richmond Centre. I’D RATHER GO NAKED THEN TRANSIT THAT FAR.

  1. Yay! I loved all these photos, especially the ss ones of course. So many cool babes in one place! SF looks like a pretty cool place, I love that house in the first photo.

    1. There was actually one other girl who came a little later who was wearing all bright colours and put me to shame.

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