Last October, my boss was gracious enough to send me into the City by the Bay to become acquainted with the concept of Design Thinking. Although a five-hour flight does not appeal to me at any level, I was beyond excited to try out the amazing food scene in San Francisco. Oh yeah, and become a smarter human, of course. Hehe.

The training was taking place in the San Francisco Marriott Marquis in South of Market, a perfect location to discover hundreds of cafes and restaurants while getting a fresh whiff of the Californian air.

Transportation:

Call me a nerd, but yes, I did a diligent amount of research on the public transportation. For years I had heard news of the unpleasant wave that was washing over the city in the form of homelessness and drug-addiction. I made it a point to understand how secure as well as – *gulp* – sanitary, the BART system would be. To tell you the truth, I read enough to shock me. In other words, the ish in adventurish told me that automobiles would be the best way to go.

With the extensive costs of renting a car + hotel parking, I opted to just stick to shuttles and taxis. Can you tell I don’t have an Uber account? That’s what my friends are for. Sometimes.

Twenty dollars (including tip) will get you a one-way trip from the SFO airport to the main city – a decent bargain. I did not have to book anything in advance; I simply walked over to the information booth (near the transportation area) and was given approximately 2-3 shuttle options to choose from.

For the entire three days in the city, I did not have to worry about getting around. Delicious food was aplenty in a variety of cuisines, all within two miles of where I was staying.

Weather:

The weather was amazing the entire time I was there in mid-October. I tend to get cold very easily, but did just fine with a medium-light duster, a military jacket, and a couple of turtlenecks. The weather did vary significantly within a single day, going from the chilly mornings, to sunny afternoons, and back to the semi-frigid evenings. Basically, packing a pair of ankle boots, flats/sandals, and sneakers will suffice for style and comfort.

Character:

As intimidating as it was to drop myself in this overwhelming city for a few days, I loved every minute of it. Sure, it was tiring sitting in training for 8 hours a day, rummaging the city for food and sights using whatever was left of the daylight, and then adding another few hours of work into the wee hours of night, but it was enchanting.

It was enchanting to see
the unique personalities on the streets,
the awe-inspiring environmental engagement,
the business-savvy realm blend into the world of the free-spirits,
and strangers initiating conversations with you to simply know what you’re up to for the evening.

Without a shadow of a doubt, the 415 stood out from most cities that I have seen across the US.

Toodles for now, more to come soon on my lodging and food-findings in Frisco!