Slug Francisco.

It was a very interesting month. Perhaps it was the changing of seasons. Or maybe it was the new audio book I was listening to. Whatever it was, this month, the month of September, felt very different. I felt a change occurring in life, and with that.. a desire to be with my best friends. Over the past couple of months, one of those best friends and college roommate, Quinn, and I had been talking about visiting each other. Perfect timing. This Slug Story is about a cross country trip to the great city of Slug Francisco… I mean San Francisco to meet Quinn.

The University of Miami Student Housing Portal.

Quinn and I met the very first day of college for he and I were each other‘s first roommate. I remember when we paired up on the college-roommate website, I saw that he was from California. That was really all I needed to see. I was moving from New York to Miami in a search of newness and unique experiences. Living with someone from across the country was a great first step into the unknown… and I was ready for it. I bet he was too. I’ll never forget our first time meeting. We famously achieved the worst dap in human history. It was amazing. Over the next four years, we lived three of them together. Over the past 9 years, we’ve traveled many times, coast to coast, to hang and explore each other's cities. Given Quinn was in the early weeks of his second year of Law School, he had the time to host a visitor. Roommates once again.

Utopic Arrival.

I arrived in San Francisco to a utopia. Big mountains, Blue skies, Lush greenery, Open air (aside from the hundreds of Tech A.I. Billboards). From the moment I touched down and bro picked me up in the Mini Cooper, we got right back into our flow as brothers. The plan for this trip was pretty simple: chill. Quinn did an excellent job planning. We traversed so much of the Bay Area during our 10 day trip, from Parisian-themed parties to UC Berkeley Intramural games. Golf courses. Burrito bars. Every day brought something new. We hiked. We went in the ocean. We listened to a lot of Larry June. You know, it’s interesting, your college roommate meets you at probably your most vulnerable state. When you don’t know anyone, maybe not even yourself yet, your roommate accepts you for who you truly are. And through all the years, Quinn has done that for me.

Friday.

One of the best days on the trip was Friday. I had wrapped up work early and Quinn had no class. After our patented PB&B Toast, we left Berkeley and drove to Baker Beach. The beach had incredible views of the Golden Gate Bridge and magnificent cliffside mansions (where I’m pretty sure Robin Williams lived, RIP). We walked onto the shore, Quinn with his Slug, bathing suit, water bottle, and leftover Mediterranean food from the night before. I only requested a couple things on this trip and one of them was going in the ocean. I didn’t care how cold it was. I love the Pacific Ocean.

We then went to the Richmond neighborhood in San Francisco. We stopped off at a flower shop where Quinn insisted on getting some bottom shelf bammer … but I had to convince him to get top shelf goods. We went to a very chill coffee shop and got chocolate cappuccinos and a pastry. I love San Francisco because it’s so spread out. There’s a lot of space to operate, but you still feel like you’re in the city. No one seems to be in a rush. We went into this thrift shop and Quinn and I tried on a bunch of clothes. There was this old woman there with this crazy dog named Blue who tried to bite my finger off. We returned to the car and drove to Downtown San Francisco.

Once again, On the Ferry.

The other request I had was to take the ferry. You think I would be sick and tired of ferries as I take it every day into Manhattan, but I have such a love for them. It’s really one of the best ways to see a city from afar and understand its scope and scale. We enjoyed our greens, stretched and went into the San Francisco ferry terminal. Oh my God, was it beautiful. It was an old structure, but had all these exposed beams and trusses, so elegantly designed. All the stores were clean and crisp, but not minimal and soulless. They were full of life and color and honesty.

We made our way to the ferry, a giant white boat. We sat at the top of the vessel and watched it take off. It was amazing. We left San Francisco and headed towards the other islands of The Bay. I took some photos of Quinn, but really we just kicked it, sipping Cutwaters and taking in the sights and sounds.

You know, come to think of it, this ferry ride, maybe even this trip in its entirety, was kind of what I envision heaven to be like: bright, light, floating around with your best friend.

See you soon San Francisco.

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Quinn

Real Friends.