NorCal, No Agenda
28 Days of Asking: Day 14
Up at 4:30am for our flight, body still a bit tender from Thursday’s collapse, but holding. Through security, onto the plane, and I fell asleep right after takeoff. Somewhere over the middle of the country I drifted back to the surface from the three or four year old in front of me making that impossible to ignore. She couldn’t stop arguing with her parents in that relentless toddler way. After about 30 minutes of listening through the grogginess, I gave in. Headphones on. Found a movie called Good Fortune. Charming enough to carry me the rest of the way.
San Francisco was overcast when we landed. Mid-fifties. Chill energy. We picked up the rental car and drove up from the airport into the city—past the ballpark, along the water, the skyline filling in slowly. Last time I saw a game here it was Candlestick. A lot has changed.
Now we’re at the hotel. Bags down. Exhale. A mix of giddy for the trip ahead and quiet contentment for what’s already here.
Day 14: Which direction feels right for today?
Not a plan. Not a strategy. Just a feeling.
The last few days have been a blur. Early mornings, sick nights, juggling, recovering, packing, flying. I haven’t had much say in the direction; the days chose for me. But now the motion has stopped. There’s nowhere to ‘be’ for the next week. Just our hotel room. Just Lauren. Just our NorCal landscape.
This is our sixth getaway as a couple. Just the two of us, no kids. They’ve always been filling. Connective in a way that’s hard to replicate at home. This weekend is about rest. Good food. Celebrating her 40th. Monday we head to wine country. A version of us we haven’t experienced yet.
But today, right now, the only direction is here. Present. Still.
So I’m curious: Which direction feels right for today?
Not the whole week. Not the year. Just today. What’s pulling you? What feels true when you stop long enough to ask?
You don’t need a map. You just need a sense. Which way is the wind blowing, and are you willing to go with it?
V-Day dinner tonight at Bar Crudo. Fifth choice on the Infatuation list—1-4 weren't available. But I’m just glad to be sitting across from Lauren (I feel very privileged and grateful to have her as my partner), wherever we end up.
Happy Valentine’s Day. I’m here. And for now, that’s enough direction.
