The Goodbye

(April 30) Bleary eyed, Claire drove us to the San Diego airport at 6 am to catch our 7:45 flight up to Oakland. Nissa, my first college roommate, and Lily, our smallest sidekick, chauffered us up to the wedding of Carrie & boy Aaron up in the Berkeley hills at Tilden Park in the Brazilian Room. The day could not have been more picture perfect and I went nuts snapping shots. I felt as though we were in Narnia with talking trees and nymphs because the forest just felt so alive up there. The bride was stunning in a sleak dress and the groom was beaming with joy. It was an added bonus to have my sister Erin, my brother Tim and Cah all there to soak in the beauty with (Matt too was there, of course).

Since the ceremonies started before noon I managed to maintain a constant buzz throughout the day. A bit delirious from the early flight and the previous days festivities by the time night fall rolled around I was slap happy. Poor Ariana had to bare the brunt my maniacal laugh but since we're family she's used to me laughing uncontrollably at times.

The next morning Matt was the task master and said if I finished my "chores" I could go out and play. For those of you who don't know Matt as I do he is incredibly organized. He has lists and lists of lists. Recently I just learned that there's even lists in his head that don't make it to paper he just keeps a running tally. It is because of his lists and his unfailing work ethic that this trip is even possible.

Well he gave me the good ahead mid-afternoon after scavenging spots in Erin's closet to store the useless crap we couldn't or didn't drag up north. Nissa and Lily speed out to SF in the mother of all minivans and we made a bee line for the beach at Crissy Field. San Francisco was beaming with sunshine and nary a cloud or a fog bank could be seen. The beach at Crissy field is one that dogs roam freely and occassionally for those basking in the sun a stray ball or a wet dog finds its way on your blanket. Erin taught Lily how to make drip castles and I gossiped until I was blue in the face with Nissa.

It's been tough deciding where I want and need to eat from before I leave this culinary melting pot of a city. An old stand-by or a marvelous new hot spot? We all decided on Khan Toke Thai Restaurant on 24th and Geary. The food is flavorful and you sit on either cushions or sunken down tables. It was the ideal setting to lounge at after a gorgeous day at the beach. Seanyboy came down later in the evening after Nissa and Lily made their way back to the East Bay. Tired as I was he motivated us to see some sights of Frisco. We got blown around up at Twin Peaks and warmed up with Irish Coffee's at the Buena Vista.

Our final day in San Francisco was spent wandering around the botanical gardens. That plus lunch with Karen and Nicklaus, at date with hair stylist extrodinaire Anthony, pedicure and then dinner with Jeff, that catalyst that was there when it all began for Matt and I back in Chemistry Lab our freshman year of college at USF. I thought I would want to party like a rock star my final night but the truth of it was that I was tired. Tired of having to say goodbye to people I love. Tired of packing and repacking. Tired of waiting to take this trip. But I'm not really ready to leave it all either.

Nissa and my best little friend Lily saw us off at SFO. We waited by the fish tanks eating giant raisins. Lily was the straw that broke me and I finally let the flood of tears of all that I held back come flooding out. My eyes dripped nearly the entire flight out to JFK. I'm elated to go on this trip it's just that the sacrifices are often hard to accept. May 3, 2006 and we officially said goodbye to San Francisco and hello to the world. I hope it's ready for us.