I Left My Hearts in San Francisco
What do you get when you take 3 days, 4 Helenes, a 20-hour car ride, 4 amazing restaurants and countless boba stops? A HAPPY AND FULL FAMILY.
I must say that the most fulfilling part of my Helenes experience has been my Helenes Family. My Helenes family consists of myself, my little Mahima, my big Mehr, my grandbig Tiffany, and my great-grandbigs Johanna and Katherine. Right before winter break had begun, our family had discovered the obvious: 3 of us were from the Bay Area, and 3 of us were from the LA area. At that moment, we put down our Ground Zero milkshakes and began planning what would be the most satisfying days of our break.
The Drive:
Our trip began bright and early the day after Christmas. Johanna and I set off in her car for what turned out to be a 10-hour drive each way. I sadly don’t have a license (I promise I am working on it), so I admire Johanna’s willingness to drive for so long just so we could spend some time with each other. Through this car ride I found that Johanna listens to the most beautiful music this world must offer (in both English and Spanish). Her playlists are so soulful and diverse, and to my surprise she knows every single word. I also learned that her bladder would beat my bladder in a fight, as hers can hold an astounding 4 cups of coffee, while mine can only hold half a water bottle.
The Food:
When we arrived in Cupertino around 7 PM, Mahima and her dog welcomed us. Then, we began the real journey of stuffing our faces. I usually base the success of my trips on the amount of good food I have consumed, and I can say that our trip was exceptional.
We started the first night off right at this amazing all-you-can-eat Mongolian BBQ restaurant. You would think we would have stopped there, but right after that, we met up with Mehr for some boba. Then, just 8 hours later, we took the Caltrain up to San Francisco for more food at Plow Café.
As we rolled down the streets of SF, we ended up at Fisherman’s Wharf, where we hopped on a boat ride under the San Francisco Bridge. They say if you make a wish under the bridge that it would come true. As I rocked on that boat with some of my favorite girls, it was difficult for me to wish for anything more. At that moment, I knew I had had everything to be happy, so instead of a wish, I thanked the world for providing me with such amazing and beautiful Helenes to surround myself with.
We then ventured off to Union Square, then to the top of Russian Hill, and then for dinner we went to this amazing Italian hole-in-the-wall, and back to Cupertino for some ice cream. To be honest, I think I saw more food than city that day. We ended the night by watching How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days which I HIGHLY RECOMMEND because it’s so alright alright alright (sorry, I just had to include a shameless Matthew McConaughey joke).
The Goodbye:
The final morning, we ended up at Café Borrone (no surprise there), ate our breakfast and said our goodbyes. It was very bittersweet. Bitter because we were leaving, and sweet because that frosted mocha was the best thing since Helenes itself. I am extremely blessed to have shared that experience with my family, and hope the future brings many more trips. It’s been about a month since that trip, and I already miss Mahima’s dog, so I know I must go back.
