{San Fran recap, part I}

 wow, it's been awhile!! we have been living at my parents' house for the past month while our landlord has been flipping our bathroom. and while it's been fun having more time with them, it has totally thrown off my schedule! thankfully, we are finally moving back into our house this weekend :) with a new bathroom, new kitchen floor, and a living room that was rearranged shortly before we moved out, it's going to be a refreshing change. which i need!!


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if you follow me on twitter or instagram (@meganlane84), i'm sure you noticed that joel and i recently traveled to San Francisco. though i'd been to california 4 times prior, it was always in southern cali (san diego, palm springs, L.A. i have friends/family in those parts.) the first time i visited, back in high school, i absolutely fell in love and had decided i must live there one day. i had forgotten about my love for the state until this trip. right now i am wishing we could pick everything up and move there right now (and bring our families with us).

it seems i have friends or family in every big city in california. apparently it drew them the way it's drawing me - none of them are from there. it is the place to be. in berkley (right outside of san fran, i have my dear friend Flora, one of two friends i've kept in touch with from high school. she was a bridesmaid in our wedding :) i got to spend lots of time with her while joel was at his conference. she was my personal tour guide. it was so great to finally explore her stomping grounds & to catch up on what's going on in each others' lives. i so wish that we lived closer; she is a gem of a person. and so freaking hilarious.

after having lunch with Joel during his break, Flora met me at the mushroom stand and from there we headed to North Beach (Littly Italy), stopping at the original Blue Bottle Cafe on the way -- home the best coffee in town. i became obsessed with their capuccino during our stay.

in North Beach, we visited City Lights, the famous bookstore where the beatniks used to hang, including Jack Kerouac - after whom the colorful alley adjacent to the store is named (where we took goofy pictures). we then headed to Fisherman's Wharf, where i caught my first glimpse of the bridge. the sandy beach seemed to be mocking us (apparently winter arrived when we got there, everyone was apologizing to us about the weather. but i will take that "winter" over ours any day.) we stopped in the Musee Mechanique and had delicious cupcakes at a Kara's Cupcakes in Ghiradelli Square.. will have to try a Ghiradelli chocolate sundae next time... i hear they're to die for! we made our way to Lombard Street from there - the windiest street ever. and so steep.

to be continued... (oh, the suspense).