Stinson, Sacramento & Is this really happening?

These past 10 days have been epic for the Year of Passion, even more than I would ever have been able to predict in such a short time. In a discussion with a new friend on Sunday about the YOP, it was becoming more clear that finding passion, or love, or happiness, that it really is a pursuit. An active choice to seek it out and nab it when you see it, feel it, and go with it. Living in the moment and saying `yes`. This new twist of thought would explain why, in this transient city whose average resident stays for just 3 years, life is getting busy. Full, and beautiful...and busy.

Picking up from last week’s whimsical decision to just stay in this enchanting city, I was couch surfing with Shaun, in his bachelor pad show-room apartment in the Mission District. A vintage sign in his kitchen caught my eye and loved it so much. Apparently this phrasing was an excerpt from what the US govt recommended during WWII...

His neighbour had lent me an undeniably beautiful road bike to take the city with, and that I did. A bike so beautiful that on one ride alone, I had 3 people comment on it as I was passing by. Exploring even the industrial zones of the south eastern edge, (not necessarily intended, although got some interesting shots of piers that were artfully neglected), this bike introduced me to the beauty of gears on hills, and how they aren`t as bad when not on a 1 speed cruiser...

It was last Thursday morning, and as I awoke for the 3rd time on the leather couch of Shaun’s. I mused with the prospect of what to do with myself until my 5pm meeting Rachel, the Program Director of the Business Council on Climate Change of SF…or BC3. Exploring the city by bike often comes to the top of my list, and so after spending some customary time online looking for jobs, replying to emails, reviewing a fresh batch of photos taken, I went for a beautiful bike ride with the intention of ending up at Alamo Square (aka where the Full House pic is taken)

It would also mean I would get to navigate “The Wiggle” – the specific bike path that leads cyclists on a round-about way to climb one of the steepest hills in the city. Although I must confess I got lost on the way to it, it was still filled of new sights to see, parks to admire, hills to conquer and seemingly hidden streets full of colours, character and quirks to discover.

That night, I met Rachel right at 5pm at the SF Environment office downtown. Rachel is a 20-something who I was put in contact with from the lovely Sarah Rea in Toronto whom I met at a local food event in May of this year. BC3 is a Not-for-Profit association that connects “San Francisco Bay Area businesses who are committed to reducing their green house gas emissions” through events and leadership groups. Composed, articulate and knowledgable, Rachel had an intern position of which this was supposed to be an interview for, however she filled it just the day before, as they really wanted someone full-time and right, did I mention it was unpaid. Mmmmmmm……curious situation when the going cost to rent a room in a shared house of 4+ people is $700/month.

In any cease, I was a bit bummed about not getting the job (if one could even call it that) however, the upcoming week would far trump that small snag-ooo and further illustrate how "everything happens for our own maximum happiness."

The weekend was filled with a coffee turned overnight roadtrip to sleepy capital city of Sacramento with a new friend from the conference: Tom Tom. TT hails from one of SF’s sister cities of the north – Seattle. With an open mind and heart, and regimen of meditation, yoga and vegan food, I admire his resilience and pursuit of joy, not to mention the fact that for the last week he was rubber camping (aka sleeping in his car) at various locales along the coastline of Highway 1 all along the west coast of Cali before heading back up to Seattle.

In Sacramento, we did what any visitor does when in Sacramento:

a) try to find where Arnold lives

b) go to a country bar.

Although we didn't event attempt a Mr. Schwarzenegger hunt, or knew any of the steps to the country dances at the country bar, I did find myself having one of those "is this actually happening?" moments. You know that instant when you stop and think about the random happenings that lead you to where you are at that very moment, as is most likely a bizarre concoction of fateful openness that lead you there.

That Sunday was delightfully full of fresh air, blue skies, open waters, Sequoia forests and grassy hills with some familiar faces from the couch surfing (CS) community. A group of 9 of us met at Stinson Beach for a 7 mile hike on the Dipsea trail which encompassed beautiful views, beautiful smiles and stories, and made it so utterly clear why Californian's seem to be hooked on nature.




After the hike, we refuelled at the beachside café and relaxed on the soft sand and cool waters of the Pacific Ocean for an hour or 2 until pilling into Jason’s truck to head back to the city for an Alt-Country show at Parkside bar, SF's self-proclaimed Dive Bar, and Salvadorian Pupusas in Bernal Heights.

Having checked out of Casa Shaun's, I had no official plan on where to stay that night, but was finding solace in the notion that of all groups to find somewhere to crash that night, an CS meet-up would be ranked quite high, so left it to fate to have it play out. And it did - in the form of Jason, a PhD science student/CS host who had driven Bob and myself to Stinson that morning. He shares his Bernal Heights flat with a newly wed French-American couple (a mere 22 and 26 years old), and 2 kittens with tiny bodies and heads whose motion resembled that of bobble-head figurines. I was given the front Parlour with the south facing bay window overlooking the street and view of the hills. Yum!

The next day, Monday, June 21, I would really begin my bag lady status. The next 4 days I would tote that sturdy little nugget of a wheelie bag from Jason's to the laundry mat to coffee shop, to hostel to hostel then to our final resting spot (until the end of August) at least at what I lovingly nicknamed: The House of Yogi. Home to 5 unique souls: an astrologer, a body works instructor, an accupuncture student, an actress in a mime version of Alice in Wonderland, a science student, and me...we are all nestled in a big, beautiful, purple Victorian house in the Mission. My room looks onto a park and is just steps from the latin grocery and hipster coffee shops on 24th...

Ay que rico!

I feel so incredibly blessed that in the same time that the earth has rotated the sun just 10 times, this tiny world of mine has grown to encompass so many beautiful souls from all over the world. Generosity, kindness, acceptance, openness and joy just begin to describe the some of the memories that have imprinted themselves into my life, and left a permanent mark on the YOP.