free rommy New York → Kansas City → San Francisco → Stockholm → Berlin

14May/102

The Road Trip – An American Thing

I woke up this morning with a strong desire to take a road trip. Then it occurred to me that I haven't taken a road trip in two years (except for that small one I took in January). Then it further occurred to me that in general, Europeans don't take road trips!

Living in northern California, road trips were a very regular way of getting away from the hustle and bustle of San Francisco city life and the techwelming Silicon Valley. They were a way of letting off some steam. Road trips were big there because many people had cars, at least those of us living in SF and working in Silicon Valley.

Very few months went by when we didn't take road trips. We'd often take short day trips to Napa and Sonoma. Then there were the longer ones to Tahoe, Big Sur, Santa Barbara, and the national parks. Perhaps what made it so easy to road trip in San Francisco, was the relative proximity of so many amazing places. Summers in northern CA were an opportunity to throw the top down on the car, escape the bonechilling fog of San Francisco and hit the road for a little good old American frontier exploration.

Heck even Kansas City saw its share of road trips to St. Louis, Memphis, the Ozarks, Nebraska, etc.

I don't miss my car here. In fact, I don't want to ever drive again if I can avoid it. I'd gotten so used to my car as a utilitarian vehicle for transport, that I began to resent it.

Europe is a mass transit culture, inter and intracity. I know very few friends with cars here, and they rarely use them for recreational purposes. Most people I know here would avoid driving if they could and they often do. Most friends I had in California couldn't comprehend life without a car or vehicle of some sort. It was a mental and financial burden that I was glad to shed when I came here.

But there are those moments when you just wish you had a car to hit the road and to escape from reality for a bit. I think I need to get some friends together for a European road trip this summer.

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23Nov/096

A brief moment in San Francisco

For the first time in the 15 months since I left San Francisco, I came back. The occasion was a bittersweet one as I briefly got to see the friends that made it so memorable and yet I didn't get to see them enough. I got a brief glimpse at one of the most beautiful cities in the world and I got to eat to my heart's delight.

Alas the trip was short. I arrived on Friday afternoon and am sitting at SFO now awaiting my flight to board. The brief moment I spent here reminded me of what I miss as well as why I left.

I did have a few things I set out to do and I did them.

  • The Tuk Tuk Goose fundraiser at 111 Minna. Check.
    • After arriving at SFO on Friday afternoon, on practically no sleep, I went to the apartment of my dear friends Barb and Seema (where I would end up crashing for the weekend. Thanks!) and mentally prepared myself for a night of reunions, doing good things for great causes and  getting too drunk to function in a coherent sense.
    • It hadn't occurred to me until it was too late that not only hadn't I slept, but I hadn't eaten, and any more than two beers would send me into a shame spiral from which I wouldn't emerge.
    • Following the event, I'd spilled a drink, dropped thai food all over myself, and fell asleep at the restaurant. I literally probably had like three beers (and maybe a couple shots).
    • Needless to say, the event was a success and it was great to see some friends who I missed very dearly.
  • Mission burrito at El Farolito. Check.
    • After getting my ass over to El Farolito, I sat there alone with my burrito and I savored every taste of carne asada, cheese, salsa, black beans, sour cream, avocado, and epic burrito flavor. It's the street food that has no equivalent anywhere in the world.
    • I had to walk halfway across the city to burn this thing off so I could make room for Saison.
  • Dinner at the hot, new San Francisco restaurant, Saison (recommended by my friend AJ). CHECK!
    • Navin and Barb joined me at the new restaurant where we indulged in a SEVEN course prix fixe menu and wine pairing (BOTTOMLESS) that you only get in a place like San Francisco. The food was all sourced locally and the flavors were mindblowing. The menu had been set on Friday and the restaurant is only open on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, so I consider us to be very lucky to have gotten reservations just a couple weeks ago.
    • More than just the food, the ambiance and service were second-to-none. Housed in a former horse stable (no joke), Saison is very *casual* in terms of style even though the food (and the prices) dictate otherwise. Like some other popular establishments in SF, the dining room opens into the kitchen so you can see the masters of the art at work while you eat. It lacked pretention and was a dining experience that sits amongst the top that I've had in San Francisco. Kudos to Joshua Skenes and team for yet another top-notch San Francisco restaurant.
    • The menu speaks for itself: http://saisonsf.com/pdf/saison%20menu%2011.21.09%20web.pdf

The weekend wasn't a complete success. Sadly the thing I missed and hurt the most was not getting to see Bucky's newly-birthed offspring Liam. And worse yet, it was substituted by an hour of mockery from my other "friend" JT on Friday night. :)

But I'm not worried. I know I'll be coming back.

Now...to New York, Thanksgiving, and a wedding.

Filed under: Friends, San Francisco, food, personal, rickshaw run, travel 6 Comments

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