I’m lucky that my seasonal job allows me to travel, but it’s always difficult to fit in “fun time” on a work trip. My recent jaunt to California was no different. I arrived in San Francisco on a balmy, overcast afternoon and, being the intrepid traveler I am, took BART into the city.
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I only wandered aimlessly for a few minutes before finding the right street to get to my hotel. My boss put me up at the gorgeous InterContinental San Francisco, which was thankfully one block from work at the Moscone Center.
After quickly changing and grabbing a sandwich from Whole Foods, I crossed the water to attend a Travel Massive in Oakland. I’m the chapter organizer in Atlanta, so I was excited to meet my Bay Area counterparts at Diving Dog Brewhouse.
Community Manager Erika was there, who initially convinced me that my city needed a chapter. I also got to talk to fellow bloggers and lots of people who work in the travel tech field. And, of course, I was glad to try a new brewery!
After work, I walked over to the screening of The Wireless Generation, which luckily fell in line with my trip. I got to meet Drew Gilbert of Almost Fearless, who was road tripping across the country, sans wife and kids, to promote his labor of love.
The documentary, which follows people who have left their regular jobs to work remotely as they travel, was first shot back in 2010. I was happy to see familiar faces on the screen and it reiterated the idea that my goal is to be able to do the same one day.
A few nights later, my friend Brad of My Wanderlist invited me to Weekday Wanderlust, a monthly reading of travel writing put together by legendary writer and editor Don George, who literally wrote the book on travel writing. Held at the Library Bar at Hotel Rex, I was so inspired by the quality of writing I heard. It made me want to work that much harder on my craft.
And since I was one of the few out-of-towners for this trade show, I ended up dining alone nearly every night. But being the introvert that I am, this didn’t bother me at all.
My favorite meals ended up being surprise bun cha at Tin Vietnamese Cuisine, the fish and chips at The Cavalier (pictured above), a giant meatball with polenta at Grove Yerba Buena, the spicy shrimp at Tropisueño and my daily sandwiches from La Boulange. I’m certainly glad to have made the trip, even if it was mostly work and little play, and even if it was an ordeal getting home, and I hope to come back soon!
For local experiences in San Francisco’s neighborhoods, check out Urban Adventures tours.
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