next friday i'll be on a plane headed for san francisco. haven't been to that city by the bay in about 10 years. really looking forward to returning as a tourist ready to soak in the atmosphere, smell of seafood, tour alcatraz at night, expense of riding the cable cars and cheating on my childhood oakland a's by attending a giants game.
one day we are heading through the caldecott tunnel to walnut creek - my home as a child and adolescent. haven't been to that turf in a very long time. yesterday i google mapped our route from the city back to walnut creek. as i was looking at the roads to take suddenly memories started flooding back. flex and moochie were born at john muir medical center. big lug and i would ride our bikes to enjoy a togo's sandwich then stop and rent a VHS tape from local video store. viewed multiple fireworks displays from the top of the large hill by our house. riding my bike up snyder lane to hang with the contractors building our house. piano lessons with my mean teacher. listening to barry manilow on my portable tape player while watching cars drive down ygnacio valley road. birthday slumber party for my friend susan where we were taken to breakfast while wearing our pajamas. doing a dance routine as a merrie miss for church talent show to donny osmond's "soldier of love". being mad at oakland a's fans for cheering texas ranger's nolan ryan as he threw a no-hitter. hosting a boy/girl party for valentine's that resulted in slow dancing with my 7th grade crush mike requa. annoyed that big lug always got to take moochie out of church sacrament meeting instead of me. riding the bart train to dad's office in embarcadero square and his secretary mary letting us get drinks from the office soda fountain machine. dancing around rose courtyard to paula abdul's "forever your girl". winning the free throw contest as a 5th grader - beating all girls AND boys. coming home each day after school to watch days of our lives with joani. suffering some of the worst allergies ever. seeing les miserables for the first time. (just to name a few memories...)
i think it will be an emotional experience to go back to a place that was such a part of my young life. hoping i can hold it together as i trip down memory lane in about a week and a half.
No comments:
Post a Comment