Best in the Bay

"San Franciscans are very proud of their city, and they should be.  It’s the most beautiful place in the world." - Robert Redford

Home to the Painted Ladies, Angel Island, Alcatraz, Union Square, Pier 39, and most importantly the Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco is not only a major tourist attraction for many visiting NorCal, but it's also minutes away from my beloved home. The Golden Gate Bridge, with it's iconic rustic and red structure, is a 1.7 mile bridge stretching from San Francisco to Marin County. I've lived close to San Francisco my entire life and have driven over the bridge countless of times, but nothing quite compares to stepping foot onto the bridge. Everyone, including me, has an insane bucket list of things and places they'd like to be apart of before they get to spent quality time with God, if you know what I mean. With my bucket list having outrageous things like traveling all over South Asia and cage viewing sharks, a more realistic and close to home mark was to walk across the famous Golden Gate Bridge. It's actually crazy that I didn't do it soon. 

During Mother's Day weekend, my dad, Papa John, and I decided to embark on a journey across the bridge. The windy and cold air made my hair fly everywhere and my nose turned red, but I could care less because the aura of the bridge made it all worth while. It was one of those rare sights where you don't have to take millions of pictures because the sight was so breathtaking and memorizing enough. Although the bridge is obviously not a nature made structure, it's definitely a sight to see and is spectacular from a standing point of view. Between the sturdy steel structures, ferries and boats slowly chugging along, and the best view of Angel Island and Alcatraz together, the bridge harbored an indescribable euphoria. I think it's one of California's not so hidden treasures. The walk took my dad and I about an hour or so and it was not a minute wasted. 

This set forth my plans for the summer. I enjoy discovering and experiencing everything the bay has to offer, so I plan to take my car this summer and literally be a tourist on my home turf. 

This is literally still my anthem:

This is How I (Sushi) Roll

"You don't have to like it, but you have to try it." - Mrs. Sutter 

My kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Sutter, has always taught her students to try new things and to explore the unknown. Of course she was talking about things more like learning to read, but I've applied this concept to everything I do, especially when trying new foods. I am the queen of picky eating. I stick to what I know and enjoy, which is basically pizza and pasta. Exploring different types of foods from different cultures always sounds better in my head than what is actually on my plate. However, this stretch mark assignment really urged me to step out of my shell and actually try something new. I thought I'd start with sushi. It seems like every teenager is addicted to sushi, which now after trying it, still bewilders me. Since I do not know a thing about sushi, I left deciding a  place to indulge in this Japanese cuisine up to my friends Chloe Dimarumba and Sarah Feller.
On a sunny Friday after an early dismissal, my friends and I headed down to 3rd Street in San Mateo. Here rests a hidden gem named Sushi Sam's Edomata. This small, little restaurant is apparently where Mark Zuckerberg goes to all the time; unfortunately, he wasn't there. When deciding what to order, I choice a rainbow roll. The vivacious colors of the different fish attracted itself to me. A rainbow roll consists of raw tuna, salmon, and whitefish on top of the classic California roll which is composed of crab and avocado. None of this sounded appetizing to me, but I thought maybe my taste buds would explode in love when I tried a bite. The struggle began even before I could take nibble of the sushi; I could not even pick up the roll with my chopsticks. Instead of over doing the taste of the ocean, I opted for just a piece of raw salmon. Instead of being love at first bite, I felt more like I licked the bottom of the ocean. The consistency was somewhat cold and felt like raw chicken. As I gnawed at the other pieces on my plate, I still was mortified at the taste of my sushi. To be honest, I'm kind of disappointed I couldn't enjoy something so adored by everyone else around me. When the waiter came back, I ordered my go to Japanese favorite, chicken teriyaki. I would highly recommend the chicken, even give it a ten out of ten!

Although my experience with sushi was unexpected and anticlimactic, I am glad I can officially say I tried and disliked it. The search still continues on what foods I actually do like, but I think this is a good start to a new beginning of me trying different foods out. I think next time I'll try something cooked like Shawarma from the Middle East. 

Enjoy my distasteful first bite: