Bay to Breakers: San Francisco's Annual Can't Miss Event

Many a late night hour in the past weeks and months have been spent pondering over The Future. Should I have pursued this or that career path instead? Was going straight into graduate school actually a wiser choice, and did I completely screw up by not taking advantage of that? Where am I going to live?

San Francisco has been on its very best behavior recently, and as a result, I've felt more and more compelled to stay in the Bay Area. The majority of my friends will be staying in the area, it's where all the career opportunities are, and MOST IMPORTANTLY

Where else on this planet will you find a city whose absolute pride and joy is an "athletic event" turned city-wide party – there are people (very, very impressive people) who run the whole 12K. But the majority of the tens of thousands of participants stroll leisurely from the Embarcadero on one end of SF to Ocean Beach on the other end, hydrated with buckets and buckets of early morning *wink* "water," donning everything from animal onesies to superhero costumes to creative group costumes (our favorite was a pack of "old ladies" in hair curlers and nightgowns) (and the Three Blind Mice) to general, colorful rally gear, to nothing at all (so! many! naked! people!) ... from eighty year olds to eight month olds to eight puppies on a leash, the whole city is out to play.

The whole thing starts real early – most of the South Bay people arrive in hordes after pre-gaming on the 6am Caltrain, and it's over by noon... but it's the best morning of people-watching, randomly meeting up with various friends along the course as some groups speed up and some slow down, spontaneous dance breaks and lemonade stands, and amazing conversations with the strangers walking next to you.

All of this, on top of a Saturday night spent trying not to wipe out at a disco roller derby in an abandoned church, an afternoon wrapped in blankets at a neighborhood biergarten, and a morning DIYing mimosas at a brunch shack facing the water. San Francisco, I can't quit you just yet.

But the best part of Bay to Breakers?

Grinning and bearing it through a 2x surge price Uber in order to reach the burrito of my dreams. As you can see, I literally bought the darn thing and then plopped myself down on the sidewalk outside to eat it because I was so desperately starving.

And then, there's the sleeping-away-the-entire-afternoon part. Worth it.

Can you spot the overstimulated, overexhausted, overindulged human in that blanket nest of a snuggle fest we built? 
Sooooo, my friend, the lesson for you: if you're planning a trip to San Francisco, forget about seeing the Golden Gate Bridge or trekking it to Chinatown. Fisherman's Wharf is fine and dandy, Pier 39's whatever. Alcatraz, sure why not, The Mission okay if that's your thing, I won't stop you. But if you really, really want to see what San Francisco's all about? Don't miss next year's Bay to Breakers.