From NYC to San Francisco and back — in one day
It was an impulsive decision, which I fully blame on JetBlue for forcing me to make. Last year, there was a one-day special for one-way flights to anywhere in the U.S. for $31.
I couldn’t think of a better way to spend 30 bucks. I’ve spent more on all-you-can-eat sushi buffets and then wallowed in the misery of the digestive aftermath. A flight across the country seemed like a less risky option. Stephanie, my coworker, informed me about the JetBlue deal after receiving insider information through a friend who works for the airline. A year before, she had fallen in love with San Francisco and wanted me to join her on a return journey.
I couldn’t resist the offer. Fearing the tickets might sell out, we sneakily planned our trip during work hours. She invited her boyfriend and I invited my friend, Melissa; only Melissa saw the value in our idea. To get the most of out of the deal, we also purchased return flights on the same day. The total came out to $61.98 per person. I couldn’t believe it. I was going to fly across the country on a Saturday and be back in time for church on Sunday morning.
This was the plan that resulted from the impulsive decision:
Our flight would leave New York at 7 a.m. and we would land in San Francisco at 11 a.m. We’d rent a car and drive to lunch at Burma Superstar. We’d go on a sightseeing sprint and then head back to the airport at 7 p.m. for our return flight at 9 p.m. We were scheduled to land back in New York at 4 a.m., just in time to see the sun rise.
This meant, in total, we would spend 12 hours traveling for eight hours in San Francisco.
Perhaps we were a bit ambitious, but I’ve always been curious and free-spirited. When I was younger, my mom told me I had ants in my pants because it was extremely difficult for me to stay still for long periods of time. It’s sort of become a chronic condition.
The problem intensifies whenever I’m inside an office. About a year ago, I worked for an online news publication where I spent most of my working day editing articles in a confined space. I constantly searched for distractions and tried to remedy my boredom by swiveling in my chair and staring longingly through my office window. This trip was just what I needed to reboot.
The actual flight was on Halloween. Although that might seem like an omen, everything went surprisingly according to plan. We managed to visit Twin Peaks, which allowed us to see the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz from a distance. Standing atop those hills, I had an expansive view of San Francisco from above. It was perhaps one of the best views I’ve ever come across, particularly because it was so different from the industrial New York gray I’m so used to.
From there, we then made a quick stop at Alamo Square to snap cheesy tourist photos of the Painted Ladies. Unfortunately, we made the mistake of pulling the car over into the bike lane, causing two passing bicyclists to curse at us from the top of their lungs. The “Fuck you” was all it took for us to move our car to another location. This is another difference between New York and San Francisco: The bike lane isn’t taken very seriously at home.
Following that slightly traumatic but extremely funny experience, we headed to the iconic Lombard Street, known for its zig-zaggy hairpin turns. Stephanie, who isn’t the most experienced driver, somehow ended up behind the wheel for this portion of the trip. As she drove down the steep street at an uncomfortably slow speed, I began to hold my breath.
There were cars directly behind us and in front us, so I couldn’t help but imagine what would happen if she accidentally let go of the brake. I imagined a bumper-to-bumper domino effect. Stephanie said it was the closest she would ever get to operating a roller coaster.
We decided to spend the night shopping. On Haight Street, we visited The Booksmith, where I purchased a book filled with comics about friendship. It seemed fitting for the occasion. I was just grateful to be in the company of some awesome people, especially because I had a hard time convincing my other friends to come along. For some reason they just weren’t buying my sushi buffet reasoning.
Now, reflecting back on my trip, I feel the need to thank Stephanie and Melissa for an incredible and unforgettable experience. It’s good to know that I have people in my life who are always up for an adventure.
I couldn’t help but smile whenever someone approached me to ask, “How was your weekend?”
[Thanks for reading. This story originally appeared on ripple.co. If you like what you read, please check out more of our stories.]
