Unpacking San Francisco: What I Learned About Me

Vacations mean more to me that just travel. They create a space for me to clear my mind, to reflect on my current choices, and make peace with my impending future. Vacations also typically mark an important transition time: Ireland after finishing graduate school, Tahiti after getting married, and San Francisco before more graduate school! I picked San Fran because it is more budget friendly than Peru (our second choice) and because I’ve had a life long fantasy of moving to California (doesn’t everyone?).

Husband and I are not nightlife people, so after full days of sightseeing, we would relax in the pool or collapse in our hotel and have plenty of time for thinking, talking, and dreaming. I decided I want to live in a grand manor (Husband agreed) and adopt a micro pig (Husband did not agree). We promised to make time for each other, even with the craziness of school, and to not let our kids join us on vacation until they are very old.

I also learned a couple things about myself:

1. I get pretty much the same amount of pleasure from planning a trip as I do actually going on the trip. I love pouring over guidebooks, reading dozens of reviews, and making inquiry phone calls. I enjoy getting recommendations from friends who have already been there and mapping out directions to different destinations. I get emotionally involved in fluctuating flight prices and Hotwire deals.

2. I am a foodie. Not sure why it took me a while to claim this; I already knew that I enjoy cooking and adore trying new restaurants, but it wasn’t until I wanted to stay longer at our food tour of the Ferry Building instead of going to Alcatraz that it clicked how much I love learning about different food trends, distinguishing layers of unique flavors, and searching for the simplest, freshest ingredients.

3. I like my home. And my life in Indianapolis. Anytime I’ve been homesick in the past, it was only because I was separated from Husband. For the first time in my travel history, I was ready to get back to my ritual of checking the mail and dinners with friends and upcoming events in the city–all the beautiful things that make up my life.

I came home from vacation feeling very content and at peace, which is probably the best outcome you can hope for, so I’m counting our trip as a roaring success. Now, off to do laundry and to motivate myself to go to the gym to work off that food tour!

Here are a couple highlights from our trip: