Today was day one of our San Francisco travels. It is fair to say, I have fallen in love with a city I have never visited nor seldom thought about. It is a city of warmth-of such interesting vibes. There is a culture and a feel to this city I have not felt yet in any other. 

We woke up around 9:00 and then headed down our incredibly steep hill (truly you should see this thing) to find a coffee place in Noe Valley. Noe Valley reminds me of the Lawrenceville of California. The amount of young children running around and baby strollers walking at just 9:30 already helped to display a whimsical feeling of energy and excitement. Afterall, kids to possess the most vibrant energy in everything they do. We passed by beautiful parks and multiple cafe spaces and landed at a small coffee place for a quick cup of caffeinated goodness. We continue to navigate our way down the heart of Noe Valley stopping in chocolate stores, bakeries and book stores. One of the chocolate stores I happened to take a picture of for the name of the store was "Whimsical Chocolates." I found this to be an appropriate space for my blog. And whimsical it was with chocolates from just about every country, in every size shape and color uniting chocolate lovers globally. 

We continued to walk, talking intermittenly but also just in disbelief of the amount of new scenary, people places and things we were trying to take in all at once. San Francisco is interesting in this way. It is busy but tastefully so. Ideas all around but also moments of silence depending on where you land along your walk. I think so interested we were in the sights that sometimes we didn't talk for ten minutes or so unless to question the other "shall we keep walking?" 

We landed in the famous Mission District of San Francisco where the demographic changed very suddenly. There was store after store of Latino-influenced shops and beautiful fruit stands. Different languages landed all around us. People were friendly but not thrifty. Fashionable but in their own way. I had a few individuals come up to me or call out the saying on my shirt "Be Honest Stay True..I love that...if we all lived by that the world would be better." "I agree" I said loudly. These were people not afraid to share their thoughts where as Noe Valley (though beautiful and quaint) was more timid, up front and friendly but also reserved. There were no reservations in The Mission District. These were passionate people, proclaiming their passion. It was raw. Untamed. Beautiful. For some, I think The Mission District is given a bit of a bad rap. "It can be dangerous" people say. "It can be too different" other reviews read. Or maybe we just don't understand the rawness of emotion because we don't feel comfortable enough in our own skin? I think the reviews would be different if people appreciated this rawness every once and a while. Raw not dangerous. Raw as in outstanding. Free. 

I happened to pass by many murals as this is something the Mission District is known for. There were two that really caught my eye. One mural was green and blue with a female at the center and many ideas coming out of her head and the words that read, "I still have a dream." That word still really spoke to me. So important for us to realize that these should not be archaic words. These words are still alive and full of energy and the need for urgency. I also saw a Mural with four faces painted in black and white-incredible talent. The faces were Ghandi, Cezar Chavez, Martin Luther King and Mother Teresa. For whatever reason, because I have been very emotional lately (I think it is still due to the end of my school year), I actually teared up the moment I saw this mural. Because I don't think it was a coincidence that I ran into this mural today. It also wasn't a coincidence that I taught about all four of these leaders in a unit I developed on my own this year relating to global leaders and how they have effectively changed the world. It certainly affirms what life is all about. The importance of leadership and empowerment that cultivates a culture of change. 

We traveled on and ran into Chinatown. We went in and out of countless shops and food places. We saw the fortune cookie factory as well as the Chinese Cultural Museum which discussed the history of San Francisco's Chinatown but also the difficult times surrounding Chinese Assimilation. It was incredibly well done and quite eye opening. In one exhibit it discussed Angel Island (Similar to Ellis Island) and the experience some of the detainees had while there. Some stayed there for days, weeks and even months not allowed to assimilate into society and so they wrote over 180 or so poems on the walls of their holding cells. Since then, 96 of these poems have been translated and are in a museum for those to see. Remarkable. We also ate at a local dim sum place where my husband picked out a variety of tasty, authentic homemade treats to try. 

Incredibly full and our stomachs and our hearts warmed, we set off down the hill and happened to accidentally run into Little Italy. Thought we didn't spend much time here, it was certainly a memorable spot with little hidden parks here and there as well as the Italian Flag on every post. Finally, we made our way to the Fisherman's Wharf. What a scenic spot. Not only did we catch that ocean spray breeze, but we ventured into a vintage arcade game museum, walked into the Ghiradelli Center where we watched many eat their chocolates with bliss. We saw a fisherman's boat skinning fish and throwing at the seals to catch, saw street performers and finally decided after 7 to 8 miles walking today, it was time to head back to the apartment as tomorrow would be a new aventure with a tour of alcatrez and a bike adventure to the Muir Woods. 

Tonight we will dream and dream again. As we saw so many new dreams come alive today.