san fran

hey y'all, im back!

it's been a minute since my last blog, but i can't bring myself to write about any other than travel - i've read plenty of articles about blog ideas, but most highlight the fact that you're writing as an "expert" on the topic. i'm going to be straight - i have zero expertise on most everything, but i dabble in a few things one of which includes travel. sadly no longer as #eurojules, but now as #postgradjules (shoutout to Eli Thiele for reinventing my hashtag lifestyle!)

my previous boss, and great friend, Melissa gifted me a GoPro for graduation. WHAT A GENEROUS GIFT, am i right? i (we?) have her to thank for the super fun videos & photos to come of my future adventures. which brings me to the reason for this post - day 1 of my graduation present from my bff & big sis, TK. she's flying me out to san francisco to then drive to Napa for a weekend spent with her, her roommate and good friend Tara, and Aerial, her college roommate and fellow kappa delta.

the morning was an EARLY one - dad and i were up and out the door by 4, with a quiet and dark drive to the airport, country music softly playing in the background. after hugs & i love ya's, i stared at the long line ahead to check bags for southwest. normally i carry on, because the airlines in america strive to rob & take advantage of their customers. the options are so limited, the ticket prices are through the roof and the amenities are slim to none. don't want to haul your bag through the airport? pay 50 bucks. want a seat on the flight you already paid for? 20 bucks. thirsty? 4 bucks for a soda. want to breathe? $1 per minute. i mean SERIOUSLY, its a monopoly. in europe there are so many airlines you can actually afford to fly more than twice a year on a flight that isn't at 5am and layovers lasting 7+ hours.

alright, rant is over. after i made it through the lengthy bag check line, i stared at yet another log line for security. i get a little travel anxiety, and if you know me anxiety is not something i typically struggle with. but my senses are heightened and i'm hard pressed to get my tush in a seat on the plane, and anything in my way of that gets me going. after my last flight alongside mom and dad, who sailed to the gate with their TSA pre check, i'm heavily debating dropping the dollas for a quicker process, and maybe even reduced travel angst. made it to the gate & boarded my first flight of the day to vegas. mom mentioned there being slots at the airport, and i just giggled and said "ma i really don't need to be losing money with this whole unemployment bit."

made a quick plane change in vegas and onward to san fran. my college pal, Andrew is a san fran native and was sweet enough to pick me up from the airport for a little adventuring while i waited for tess to touch down a few hours later.

had the best day exploring san fran with andrew - he picked me up from the airport with that friendly smile and hug i've so come to love over the the last four years at UD, and we hopped onto the metro to take into the city. upon arrival downtown we ventured to the hotel to drop off my bags so i didn't scream tourist. we popped into eif's favorite mexican spot and grabbed burritos and a beer to take to dolores park. the sun was shining, the people watching was top notch, and there were a few pups and babies which i so enjoyed. we ubered back into the city to meet the girls, did introductions and walked to the italian festival which was so fun, streets were blocked off with fair food and bands celebrating a gorgeous saturday evening in the city. the girls grabbed some fries & BBQ, and tara treated us all to a cold beer and we people watched some pretty funny people attempting to dance.

andrew hiked us all up the hill to a seriously killer view of the city (while i brought up the caboose breathing heavy. SF is steep kids) and we popped into a few different bars before settling on an irish pub with outdoor seating which was perfect for the temp that night. we eventually caught up with andrew's sis and her pals who are also san fran natives and hit a few more bars before calling it a night. i had been up for more than 24 hours at that point and needed to throw in the towel (though the kate kromar in me didn't want to.)

​thank you andrew for a stellar start to girls weekend, you were the best tour guide and i'm so proud of where you're going in the near future. to napa we go!

cheers, jkro