Happy New Year a bit early...

Winter break has been great. Though I have felt like I have been constantly trying to catch up on all the things I was going to get done this break, I'm starting to pat myself on the back as I realize that some of the most important ones have happened. I've slept. A lot. I've spent time with my family. I'm starting to catch up on friends. I've been able to take some time to reflect on this year's events, people passing, babies coming into the world, friends changing, lessons learned, amazing experiences witnessed and lived, etc. It's been a good vacation.

Yesterday, I spent the day with my mom and the evening with my sister, both things I have been looking forward to a lot. It is nice to just be able to enjoy being with somebody and letting time pass slowly while doing things as simple as driving around town or eating dinner or watching the Daily Show. It really is little things like that that matter.

Today, I had a day to myself. I had planned to stay at my sister's and study, but the sunny San Francisco winter day and the fact that I could only park in front of my sister's house for two hours kept me from wasting a day like that. I drove to the ocean and watched surfers try to take on the last of Monday's storm waves. Then, while my car was happily passing it's smog test, I wondered Hayes Valley and read a book in a sunlit cafe with a steaming cup of tea. Next, after a quick stop in Japantown for some cheap plastic junk, I headed towards the Presidio and the Golden Gate bridge. I parked below the bridge and took in the beautiful sunny day:


(sorry, poor quality due to the fact that I only had my cell phone camera on me)

Next, I hiked up to the bridge and began trekking accross it, with happy tourists from all over the world.



The view were spectacular.
(that pic did not come out)

Next, I headed back under the bridge and hiked out along the ocean side to Baker Beach (original home of Burning Man!), stopping by to admire the views and the old military bunkers that used to defend the city against the threat of ocean faring invaders.









At some point, I found myself sitting on top of a concrete bunker, staring out at the amazing ocean, as a very fine looking young man stood a few hundred feet away (on a neighborning bunker, of course) and improvised some woeful but beautiful tunes on his clarinet, serenading his only audience: me and the entire pacific ocean. I sat for awhile listening and resting and then I left him there playing away, not willing to break the magic of the moment by interrupting him to thank him for the music.

I left the ocean refreshed...and just in time for happy hour at one of my many favorite cheap sushi restaurants on Geary. The great day ended with a nice early evening beer at a Mission Street Irish pub with a good friend from high school, followed by an evening curled up on the couch watching The Da Vinci Code with my parents.

Nothing like vacation to remind you how to live again...Damn it. Medical school better be worth it.