i almost wish...

...i didn't love traveling so much. well, not that i would love it less, but that there was something less expensive that i loved as intensely.

i went to san francisco this weekend, and got back late last night (sunday). i went for a social work research conference, but had a good amount of time to explore a bit. i went alone, which i actually really loved. i'm coming to learn that traveling is something i find really calming. i think appreciate the opportunity to be out of control--as in, there are much less demands on my time, and i have very little control of it. so, i'm able to take everything in, meet new people, see/hear/smell/taste new things, and not feel as though i should be spending my time on "more productive" things.

also, when traveling, i am MUCH better at recording my thoughts--even the smallest and seemingly insignificant. so, here are some of the highlights and thoughts i jotted in my journal, planner, or conference booklet over the weekend.

--the el (train) on the way to the airport in chicago at 5am smelled overwhelmingly like expensive cheese. but, in a really, really bad way.

--i've found that EVERY time i fly, during take-off, i lean forward and contract my abs to get a little ab workout. this is 100% my mother's doing. i remember her telling me to do it the first time i ever flew, and i've done it ever since. and i think of her every time. thanks mom!

--my hotel was in the heart of chinatown! it was great. here's a picture:


--the conference was downtown, in the financial district, near the pier. it was beautiful, but i saw more brand-label stores, banks, and coffee shops than i have EVER seen jammed in one area. ever.


--the conference itself was pretty great. it was a forum to present research papers, so it was extremely academic, but the topics were also extremely interesting. as far as i know, i was the only masters-level student there, all the rest being doctoral students or phds. i went to presentations on research about: adolescent alcohol use in chile (!), low-income housing in chicago, post-traumatic stress related to natural disasters and terrorism, latino day laborers, and welfare policy, among others. and the hotel where the conference was held was unbelievably gorgeous. which was an uncomfortable contrast, for me at least, with the pretty crazy number of homeless people--young and old--right outside. the hotel:


--friday night, i explored a neighborhood called haight ashbury that was really great. lots of interesting people, great art, amazing thrift and music stores. here's one of my favorite pictures i took while walking around there:


--saturday, during my lunch break from the conference i went to a great farmers market down by the bay. there were street performers, great produce, and lots of joy. i'm tired of posting pictures on here, so i'll put the rest on facebook later that you can see if you'd like.

--saturday night i explored chinatown a bit more. it was pretty touristy, but that was to be expected. it was still great.

--sunday, after the conference, i headed home. i would have loved to spend some more time there.

i had intentions of writing more, but since i start classes tomorrow and am getting pretty tired now, i'm not going to. i'll put up the pictures soon, and captions will undoubtedly be included. i think everyone that may possibly read this is on facebook, so you'll know when i do.

peace!