“Wake-up call”

I’ve been walking around San Francisco most of the day (final errands before Burning Man) and have seen absolutely no damage from this morning’s 6.0 earthquake. It’s apparently a much different story just 38 miles north of here where there were fires, ruptured gas lines, and (horror of horrors) some broken wine and olive oil bottles at shops in Calistoga, St. Helena and Yountville. I know this will distress my wine connoisseur friend Kate but the rest of us can probably shrug it off. This was clearly not “the big one” – that one’s still coming and hopefully I won’t be in California when it hits.
I know the Brit that was in the bunk above me for part of last night won’t be around for it either. One of his friends was still here this afternoon and he got a text from “Evan” around noon saying that he was sitting at the airport and booked on flight back home at 6:00 this evening. No amount of cajoling could change his mind. He’d simply had enough of SF and wanted to go home. The earthquake was just the last straw.
I’m happy to report that I have no such feelings. After eight Saturdays on the road, it still feels right. I’m absolutely loving hostel life and the fact that I get to see or do something new every day.
Tomorrow is one of the most anticipated days of the trip to date. At 9:00 a.m. we leave for the drive to Black Rock City, Nevada, to hook up with 65,922 of my closest (new) friends at Burning Man.
See the next post for a Burning Man backgrounder.
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