It was obvious that we weren’t locals as we sat on the outskirts of the eatery. After feeling like awkward ghosts for a few minutes Shane turned to Nate and said, “We should buy the bar a round of beers.”
After a lengthy deliberation we chose a pizza and at the last minute Nate suggested we get anchovies on it because he had always wanted to try them. Shane countered by suggesting only getting anchovies on half the pizza.
There we were greeted by the charm and smile of a woman named Susana. Her attitude and positivity were contagious. She guided us through the menu, told us her favorites, and shared her infectious laugh all the while.
Earlier, we had discussed how difficult it would be to do housekeeping in a hotel. Each day they work to serve people who often do anything they can to ignore them. We’re probably all guilty of avoiding eye contact or conversation with the very people who keep our rooms clean while we explore new places. These workers receive all of the blame when a room isn’t up to your standards but usually no recognition when a room exceeds your standards.
For the past year and a half, I've lived in San Francisco on 33rd Avenue and Geary -- down the block from a little place called Sugarcane SF. The owner of Sugarcane SF, Phil, has always provided fresh food at a cheap price. To add, in my bag, every time, he's added a cookie or madeleine (until recently when he switched to melon/cantaloupe slices… I guess he's trying to promote my good health).
We want to introduce everyone to our newest Project Wildness team members; Chloe and Kian Rowshani. Nate first met Chloe and her brother, Kian, while traveling in Central America. Kian was gracious enough to put us up in his place in San Francisco for a couple days while he and Chloe introduced us to the beautiful city.
I quickly told the men about Project Wildness and Alexander’s gift and then I handed him a $100 bill, saying, “This is from Alejandro.” His reaction was incredible. He introduced himself as Stanley, as well as his friend Gordy and their dog, Chica. The most amazing part was that Stanley immediately told us that he was going to share the money with other people in need.
Shane asked her why she was selling the rolls and Rosella dove right into her story of how her and her friend were raising money for a trip to southeast Asia. They plan to raise money for the next 6 months and leave in January of 2016.
As we sat in Dolores Park enjoying burritos and beer, we were approached by a young man named Evon. He explained that his Boys & Girls Club football team was raising money to compete in a youth football tournament.
One of the students broke the silence asking, “Will you go to the ocean?
I responded that yes, we surely would.
“Bring some back,” he said.
I laughed. “Bring back the ocean?”
That moment was one of the most special moments we’ve had along this trip. Kids flocked in and surrounded the cart walking away with their ice cream treat. Some held them in the air with smiles on their faces and showered Kian and Shane with thanks. There is no description for that feeling that comes with putting a smile on a child’s face.
As we pulled onto Highway 1 we picked up a hitchhiker named Cory. He was from northern California and was making his way to Mendocino. He had driven the highway probably hundreds of times in his 58 years. Cory was an excellent guide down the coast, giving us some history of the redwood logging of the old days and pointing out sights along the way.
We gave them a couple of stickers and told them about our trip. It’s incredible how many opportunities we throw away to hear what others think and have to say. These guys were no different. We’d usually pay more attention to our food than to the people’s lives behind making it. On this day, however, we didn’t let that conversation slip by us.
At first things were slow. We started some loads of laundry and used their internet to keep you all updated on our whereabouts. A woman came in with a couple of loads and filled up two machines. Nate swept in behind putting two stacks of quarters on the machines. She seemed a little confused. Why were we doing this? After hearing our story, she seemed genuinely appreciative.
She looked desperately at us. “Have you seen a black wallet?”
“No, sorry.” we answered in unison. She’d lost it sometime between using it at the taco truck and entering the next store. We helped her look around the parking lot. Nothing. She searched her car. Still nothing.
The melancholy was short lived as a person came walking out of the woods waving her hands and walking into our path. We came to a stop in the middle of a vacant mountain road and rolled down the window. She was hiking the Oregon portion of the Pacific Crest Trail and had made a wrong turn or two (probably running from the swarms of mosquitos).