In the city I'm alive and my heart is filled with love.

1/28/10-2/02/10

San Franciso, CA

In the city I'm alive and my heart is filled with love.

After an epic week of goodbyes, I left Portland with adventure in my bones. The drive to travel captures me once again, and I'm ready. I'm not going to lie, "Goodbye" was hard. I had my second thoughts. The temptation to linger in a place, especially when it is filled with people who love and inspire you, can be overwhelming. I'm sad to leave my friends, but I am continually propelled forward by some force I can't suppress. I pick up to conquer these lands again, day by day. As of now, I'm heading down the California coast, to meet up with a friend in L.A. for a nice long walk across the U.S., or at least as far as I can make it. This for me is an exercise in patience, endurance, and companionship. I'm looking forward to each step, yeah it's a pun, of the journey. First stop, San Francisco, my familiar stomping grounds.

I'm waking up to the familiar fog, yet with the possibility of a sunny day every day. It's summertime in my mind and everything is aglow. I'm home at last and filled with love.

It's hard to document what I've done in the city. The week went by far too fast. The typical day consists of an early rise, roughly a 20 mile walk, and of course, forgetting to eat for being so exhilarated at each corner I turn that I just can't stop.

After an almost 20 hour bus ride (We got delayed an hour in Sacramento) my bones were as full of pain as they were adventure. I didn't have it in me to go adventuring. So a settled for a snack of celery and peanut butter (Rainbow Grocery!! http://www.rainbow.coop/ ) and headed to the trusty Dolores Park, where only months ago I was frolicking in a heatwave.

(Remember this, Dianna? haha) (another side note, this is still the shirt I'm wearing daily.)

I pulled out my sleeping bag and passed out for a good 5 hours in the sunshine. It was probably about 50 degrees, but coming from Portland I was sweating profusely and had to ditch the sleeping bag. The sun on my skin re-awakened in me a joy for life that's been dormant for months in the cold grey. Not to say that I haven't been happy, only nothing compares to a return to the place that holds your heart.

I turned in pretty early at my friend Dianna's. We had pasta with fake meat and watched some TV (yeah, TV, what the hell Shay?) while she finished lots of beauracratic tasks involving the US Government, Financial aid, and UCSF. A nice place to stay right by the ocean and a quick jump to the N line.

Thanks, Dianna! Say hi!

Friday I had to myself, so I made my usual rounds, exploring abandoned grounds and tromping secret alleys and parks, such as the following:

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Marion Alley, deceptively appearing to be a private yard, keeps the tourists at bay. It's between a couple of the biggest hills in the city. Prolific blackberry bush during the right season.

My secret park, also nestled in enormous hills. The best part is it's always empty and it's no bigger than an SUV.

A secret passage that leads to...well...If I told you I'd have to kill you.

I, of course, encountered much not-so-secret stuff as well.

I used to have a favorite part of town, but as time has passed I've watched each pocket transform through gentrification and commercial development. Unfortunately, the Haight and the Mission have become overrun by hipsters with trust funds and and a curiously expensive homeless-like fashion in the last couple years. Still, Clarion Alley is a good standby for street culture, although a little less rough around the edges than it used to be.

"Clarion is in constant dialogue, continuously involved in a struggle of expression that plays out in a vibrant conversation down its length. Protests against domestic violence, and war and aggression by the establishment cry out together. Memorials boldly and graciously eulogize those who have fallen. An image of Apocalyptic San Francisco and a figure of Uncle Sam spitting bombs on to his foot sandwich Julie Murray's photo-realist escalator.(escalator no longer there) " read more...http://www.sfstation.com/the-clarion-alley-mural-project-a1800

A mural commemorating several feminist activists and the forces they used to fight sexism and other forms of discrimination

A short walk into the Castro neighborhood, a little upscale these days for my taste, but still worth checking out for the sake of a photo.

Saturday, I had the fine opportunity to meet up with an old friend I hadn't talked to in a while. We grabbed some coffee and I took him for a walk. We picked up where we left off last time we hung out, which was on our way to the magnificent, yet still fairly under wraps Filbert Steps. I hate to quote Wikipedia, because college really discourages it, but: "Filbert Street and 22nd Street in San Francisco are two of the steepest navigable streets in the Western Hemisphere, at a maximum gradient of 31.5%" Well worth the hike up to Coit Tower and back down the other side, The Filbert and Greenwich steps could possibly be the finest morsel in the city. (That or the Seward slides, also pretty secret, that I unfortunately didn't get any photos from this time)

The Parrots of Telegraph Hill hang out here, and one of the best views of the city can be found as well. The gardens and art deco buildings on either side provide plenty of distraction while trying not to fall down the steep steps. Mikey failed at the not falling part. This is a great guide to stairway walks in the city: http://www.sisterbetty.org/stairways/filbertsteps.htm

Darrel St.- A fire hydrant, just in case, you know, a fire truck has to come.

The parrots are singing for me and only me

On the other side of Telegraph hill is North beach. This is one of my favorite intersections in the city. (photo below) The Columbus tower, with a copper green exterior, resembles the flat-iron buildings common at the turn of the century. This building was newly under construction when the 1906 earthquake ravaged the city. It was still finished in 1907, however. Pretty damn impressive. And not to mention Francis Ford Coppola's studios are housed in much of the building as well. Also, it just looks nice.

I planned to leave on Sunday, but as is usually the case, I got sucked into staying another day...and then another. Instead I spent I spent by myself, mainly walking the rest of the city. Monday I spent again with Mikey, a later start to the day but well worth the lounging around and having a slow breakfast in. I got a chance to sit in Washington Park and watch the little Asian ladies doing tai chi, which for some reason always fills me with an overwhelming happiness. I had to contemplate the prospect of leaving the city, which I did the next day.

You would think that by now coming and going would be mundane, as I do it all the time. But in reality, there is nothing that saddens me more than watching the city fly away behind me as the train departs the station, leaving me no choice but to continue forward, or wherever it is that I'm going.

But I suppose it is a place, like any other, that will tempt you to stay awhile, kick off your shoes, get comfortable...Have to be careful...

I'm onward to new things. More on that later.

Goodbye for now my fair city. I'll see you soon.

Love,

Shay

P.S.

If you are one of those people who's said you are living vicariously through me-- stop! Think about what you want to do, and do it TODAY. You'll really regret it if you don't. We all have to realize at some point that we really can do what we want and that obligations are an illusion. "Needs" more often than not turn out to be wants. You always have what you need, and you'll always be OK. I promise.

I know, young idealist, right? But you know...I'm happy.

Love AND encouragement,

Shay

There are more photos here: http://picasaweb.google.com/FakePlasticShay The blog, which is just a running accumulation of these emails and journalings, is here: http://fakeplasticshay.blogspot.com/ _____________________________________________________________________________________ I am not traveling for profit. I seek to live as minimally as possible while traveling, and in life in general. However, any help along the way is appreciated, as food and shelter are of the utmost uncertainty on this trip. if you would like to make a small contribution for food you may do so by clicking here: https://cms.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/?cmd=_render-content&content_ID=marketing_us/send_money click the "personal" tab, send it to Fakeplasticshay@gmail.com, specify your own amount as a gift, and help me get one day and one city further! As always, anything helps and is so very much appreciated! ___________________________________________________________________________ So! Onward! I am an adventure traveler. I am not a tourist seeking a distraction from my discomforts and worries. I am a lover of life seeking to submerge myself in the world outside myself. The nature and quality of my experience are based on some questions: -What do I want from the road? -Why will I travel? I want to see amazing things I want to meet amazing people I want to do a lot of walking I want freedom I want stories I want to see and try new things And I want all of these things at the expense of taking risks and encountering uncertainty.

Love, Shay