Reason number 1: PASSPORT RENEWAL. I know. I already attempted to do this last summer. But due to some complications with processing time, I ended up getting an extension of passport validity instead. This time, it was all smooth and easy. The Philippine consulate at Sutter St. in San Francisco opens at 9am, but you can get there early and put your name on the EARLY BIRD list. After 9, they take that list down and you would have to FALL IN LINE to get a number. So we got there at like 8:30 am and I put my name on the early bird list. We finished everything before 10 am! AWESOME... Now I have to wait for 6 - 8 weeks for my new passport (that means OCTOBER). I will have an official ID with my married name on it!
Reason number 2: RETURNING MISSIONARIES. Carl and Norman were companions when they served in San Francisco. Jayson served in Oakland. Now, those two missions have merged, and it is now called California Oakland/San Francisco Mission. It was crazy driving around Oakland and Daly City and San Francisco - on every corner, about every two minutes...I would hear something like: "That's where we did our laundry!" or "We biked this slope once and we were so tired!" or "Didn't Sis/Bro so and so live there? right?". They were having a blast... It was so fun to watch them drive by memory lane in a very literal way. They took a picture at the mission office (which used to be just for Oakland). They didn't take a picture at the former San Francisco Mission office at Sneath Lane, dunno why... but we attended church with the Serramonte Tagalog Ward saints - where Carl served his whole two years... YUP! You read that right, he never left the place!
Reason number 3: JAYSON &NORMAN'S VACAY. Well this was kind of how the San Francisco trip idea came about. Jayson scheduled a vacation to the Philippines and Norman is taking a trip to Hawaii - with both trips, they could fly out from San Francisco and cut down the cost of an extra flight from Salt Lake City. Were we jealous? You bet we were... Carl has not been home for 3 years now, and we miss Hawaii so bad! Its summer time everyone, who doesn't want a cool dip at Hukilau?!
Reason number 4: FAMILY & FRIENDS. Like I've already mentioned, the guys spent their missions in the area, and we did visit with some of the families they became really friends with. We also stayed with Carl's cousin and her family, and they were really awesome. Of course, I wasn't left behind with all these family and friends reunion sort of thing. I met up with college bud/org mate/ batch mate/ UP SocAn blockmate May. She is attending graduate school at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, but she has been spending the summer in California where she has family. We all had lunch at MoonStar in Daly City and we had seafood overload. My sister in law also told the staff that it was my birthday (well, it was a couple of days ago) and so all of a sudden 3 staff members where playing a happy birthday drum song at our table complete with complementary cake and a picture of me and Carl! How about that?!
We love San Francisco. It sure is a very busy city, but if there is one place I would love to live in based solely on the weather - it will be San Francisco. It is my perfect weather over there. (Now I am daydreaming of a PhD at Stanford hahahaha!). And Carl - he surely did leave a part of himself in San Francisco, most especially with the Filipino Saints.
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