i belong with the salt and the sea and the stones

 there are few places i've been that have latched onto my heart and refused to let go. 

places that when i remember them throw me spiraling into a painful nostalgia. 

places that altered my very being. 

example-

my family always reminds what a little savage i was at this age. 

i like that version of me best. 

bethel, alaska- always and forever my favorite place on earth.

now...

two weeks ago hannah and i were packing our bags for san francisco. 

i always feel anxious when traveling. 

usually because when i arrive at my destination i feel out of place. like even the ground beneath me knows i don't belong there. 

and then i just want to be somewhere i know. somewhere familiar. 

this was different. 

it probably sounds ridiculous because we were there for such a short amount of time.

i can't explain it. so i won't even try.

but i think i could walk those streets everyday. 

 

here's our trip in a nutshell- airport, blizzard, slept in car, flight, in-n-out, kick ass hostel, nap, coffee, Jaspers, tour courtesy of Chris and Gladys, diner breakfast, walk, coffee, chinatown, farmers market, wine country, union square, coffee, bagpipe player, best burritos ever, diner breakfast again, walk, chinatown again, coffee, fortune cookies, dim sum, walk, more union square, more walking, more bagpipe, more coffee, airport, flight.

 

even though this trip was brief it was perfect.

i felt so present. and aware. 

it woke up me. 

it reminded me of all the things i ever wanted to do. 

it left me wanting. 

i miss the sounds, the smells, the lights.