I Run Like A Girl

Summer is coming to an end, work is calming down, we have labor day weekend to look forward to…I’m enjoying every bit of this wave of relaxation towards the end of the summer before entering a busy fall season (teaser – it will involve a marathon! More on this later). This weekend was focused on RECOVERY and getting my life back into the routine.

Friday: hair cutting party + poker night

On Friday evening, I headed over to Anna’s apartment in the Mission to cut her hair. Word travels quickly that that’s my special talent…:) It’s one of my favorite activities to cut my friends/family’s hair, play some music, and make a party out of it. Anna and I shared a big bottle of rose and caught up on our weeks while I snipped away!

Aftewards, Ben, Anna and I played a round of poker and watched some TV (favorite third wheel 😉 ). The night hit the spot as we all wanted nothing more than a low-key evening of enjoying each other’s company.

Before calling it an early night, I made a pit stop at the Marina bros’ apartment to say hi. Ironically, they were playing poker as well – I’m glad I have so many poker friends; I’ve loved the game since I was little when my siblings and I would play for hours at a time; hope to have more poker nights in the future!

Saturday: lazy Saturday + Anna’s end of summer luau

Saturday started off with 6 miles. Boy did it feel good to get running again after a very sedentary week in Chicago. I did my favorite route on Marina Boulevard to the bottom of Golden Gate bridge and back.

Then for the next 12 hours of so…I laid in bed, watched Girl Boss on Netflix –> (LOVE this show…it’s a true story of a sassy young gal who starts her own business in SF, highly recommend!), took a walk, caught up with my family and friends on the east coast (sooo lovely connecting with everyone again, I sure miss them!), and keeping things low-key. I tend to always want to do something productive and make use of every second of my day, and so I had to talk myself into doing absolutely nothing/not seeing anyone for an entire day…and I must say, I didn’t hate it 😉

Later, Anna hosted a party at her apartment with a Hawaiian laua theme, and so I made down to the Mission again for a fun night. The fam and some of our girlfriends all made it and it was a nice excuse to all get together. Anna’s roommate is quite the bartender and he made the most refreshing watermelon drinks :).

Sunday: hanging with couch surfers 

Matt was hosting some couch surfers over the weekend, and so Sunday was centered around showing them around. The girls were a super sweet and a hilarious duo from Germany. Matt is such an inclusive person and I loved his initiative to do host couch surfer. Plus it gave us all an excuse to do some of my favorite activities in the city.

First stop, Lands End. My favorite city hike hands down. We started with the trail leading to the Mile Rock Beach.

Karan can never take a normal photo…ha

We strolled along and talked our ears off about each other’s lives. It was a crystal clear day and the smell of the ocean + couch surfer’s enthusiasm was the perfect recipe. Eventually made it all the way to Ocean Beach.

After a rejuvenating hike, we made our way to the Presidio Off the Grid, the weekly food truck festival picnic. I love trying new food trucks each time – this time, pork belly buns!

We all walked the long way back home for the bay views, followed by a home-cooked dinner by our new German friends. It was so nice of them to offer to cook, I suppose as an exchange for the guys’ hospitality. They made spaetzle, a classic German cheesy noodle dish that was oh-so delicious. We gathered around the dining table, enjoyed some wine, put on some jazz music…seemed like we were real adults for once.

I love that travelling allows you to meet people so easily, but it is a little sad that you are constantly saying goodbye. Just like that, our wonderful day with our new friends was over and they were onto the next adventure. At least now I know I’ll have a place to stay if I ever visit Germany again!

Good food, nature, friends…what else can you ask for in a weekend? 😉