It smelled of coffee and toast when I first opened my
eyes this morning. The bright sun and cool California air streaming in through
the cracked window made me aware that I had actually slept through the whole
night, a rare comfort these days. HusBen and I arrived in San Francisco on
Saturday and have been continuously eating and drinking since we landed. Prosciutto,
ricotta, basil, and fig on French bread at Fatted Calf. Hazelnut pound cake
with black mission figs and honey Chantilly with a Whizbang (scotch, vermouth,
grenadine, absinthe, and bitters) at Bar Agricole. Sliced mangalica ham and melon
with gooseberries and warm bread at Tartine. Wine on a blanket in the park with
good friends. Brown sugar ice cream with caramel and ginger swirl at Bi-Rite
creamery. Sherry ice cream with roasted figs and pralined almonds at Chez
Panisse in Berkeley. Too much. But just the right amount of too much to call it
vacation.
I am appreciating sitting still and sipping slowly this
vacation. After a few days in San Francisco with my best friend Paige, her
boyfriend Steve, and our friend Chandra from Houston, HusBen and I snuck off to
Napa for a little vacation within our vacation—as sometimes I tend to overbook
fun in the city—and now I really feel separated enough from our busy lives to
calm down. “Calm down:” a good piece of advice I can take full stock of in this
place (and hopefully return home with the ability to do as well). Removed from
our school/work/obligations, I realize how thankful I am that we are privileged
with such future careers, but also grateful for a step back from them
sometimes. Just to pay attention to each other. And sleep.
More to come in the way of pictures (yes, mostly of
food and yes, some are from my Instagram) but here are some starters…
Cheers ya'll,
H
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