I had a great stay with my friend whose kids were so adorable and sweet. I've been treated to a normal day at a normal house, complete with take away food (instead of dine-in because the kids were becoming cranky already and wants to go home) and a quick stop at a supermarket to buy stuff that I've forgotten at home.
My first day was a taste of normal in an otherwise, very packed one month trip.
The best thing is, spending time with my friend who I haven't been with for the longest time since University days. For that, I am so grateful and catching up with her felt like it was only yesterday that we last saw each other. It felt like one of those times when I was hopping in their room after lights out at the dormitory.
*****
My friend, her kids, and I woke up early today so they can bring me to where my cousin is. I am so grateful for my friend who is willing to do that for me! Upon reaching the hotel, I was greeted at the lobby by my niece (whom I've only met once and just got familiar with through Facebook). They were already getting ready to take me for a one day-filled trip of San Francisco. So excited!
From the hotel, we went first to see our newest nephew in Palo Alto (I'm thinking I'm near Stanford already? This was where my teacher used to live!). He is such a very adorable kid and it was such a nice surprise to find out that my cousin's partner speaks Filipino fluently even though she definitely looks like Caucasian. She even told a story about her being in Glorietta and she can hear the sales ladies tell each other that "that American can speak Filipino!" to which she answered, "Of course, Pilipino po ako." It was a great to have spent time with them and getting to know them more and hopefully, there's another chance in the near future to meet with them, especially since my cousin is still in Dallas and only talked to us through video call.
Next stop? North to the - guess where? - Golden Gate Bridge, of course! The weather was good (no fog!) and the wind cool so it was a good time to go around and take pictures. I couldn't believe that I am finally seeing the Bridge. It's a nice view and awesome to think that this has stood up for a long time (even withstanding earthquakes), but most of all, because it had been featured in a lot of American shows in the past, especially in Charmed (sorry, can't help mentioning that one).
Afterwards, my cousin decided to drive through the bridge and go to Muir Woods! The bridge is such an amazing view, too, while you are at it. I couldn't really believe that it was that huge until I got under its arches and saw the sides where people can walk along at (like a sidewalk). Before reaching the road to Muir Woods, we passed through the Robin William Tunnel (also called the Rainbow Tunnel). I didn't know until that moment that there's a tunnel named after the actor. Anyways, during the drive, my cousin informed me that according to her friends, the road to the woods was dizzying and if she feels it is risky, we will just turn back but fortunately, she was able to drive through it and I am so glad (because I told her I really want to see this) because when we got there, she and her kids were pretty amazed and happy about seeing the woods, and breathing the fresh (oh so fresh) air. It did not disappoint. We only took the shortest trail but it was still worth it to see so much nature in one place. And we got to hug the trees and have photos taken in some trees with trunk openings bigger than doors. If I have a chance, I'd go back here, but I'd also want to see the other forests in the National Park list, too.
Next stop was the famous Fisherman's Wharf. Today is Sunday so the place was overly crowded but we had fun taking photos of us with the big Christmas tree (yes, Christmas is in the air even if it's still November). There were a lot of tourists and if I was not careful, I might have lost my family in the crowd. As we were a bit hungry already, my cousin decided that we should eat at Bubba Gumps. It had been a long time since I was in this restaurant so I readily agreed, but the menu was not really familiar to me. I am not sure if it was because I've never been to Bubba Gumps lately, or if the menu is really entirely different. I don't even remember if they have pasta in the Philippine menu. Anyways, as is usual in the countries I've been to, the serving was really huge and the atmosphere at that huge place was a bit overwhelming for me - it was a bit crowded and of course, noisy. Well, at least we got seated in a nice table with a nice view of the ocean, and the service was good.
Walking around this tourist area, my niece decided to go to this shop and what caught my attention was this coin guide for foreigners. I could really have a great use for this so I took a picture. It really confuses me that the size of an American coin is not proportional to its value. For example, their 5c is bigger than the 10c, and they are both silver. Oh well. That's one American thing I've got to get used to.
When I thought the day is finally ending, my cousin took us to Metreon to watch the Fantastic Beasts movie. This is my second one on 3D because before I left for the US, my friend and I watched it (I guess I was pretty advanced compared to my family here in this case). This is one whole new experience to me too, because there were only a few tickets and since my cousin wanted to really watch it, we just took what was available - the front row seats. So there we were, almost lying on the chair gazing up, watching the 3D movie. It was a whole new perspective, I tell you that.
So in totality, this day was really great. We did a lot of things and saw a lot of things and most importantly, we got to bond as a family.
Thank you, Lord, for family.
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