sf trip: part 4

The final installment of my San Francisco Trip, which by now feels like it was months ago. This last batch of photos comes from an incredible day with another incredible woman named Leah. This Leah, however, is not a new friend. We met when we both studied abroad on the same program in Ecuador in 2003. We were fast friends and spent a lot of time together while in Ecuador. We stayed close after returning to the states--she was in college in Maine, and I was in Vermont so we were able to visit each other.

After we graduated, we moved in together, with our other friend Mollie (also from the Ecuador trip) in Berkeley. Leah was actually probably the person who most got me to move to the Bay Area. Obviously I had lots of reasons, but I think it was really her who convinced me to actually move there. And I'm so grateful. We lived together for about a year, a great year. Certainly not a year without its ups and downs, like there always are. But despite any differences or disagreements we had, I will always know that Leah is just a really really good friend. When I found out my grandma died, she ditched a conference she was at for work and came straight home to be with me. I'll never forget that. She makes my brother laugh, which is a feat. And she makes me all around happy.

I was so glad I got spend a whole day with her, in her magical little corner of Oakland. Where we spent some time with her chickens, looked at books, watched a movie, walked her canoe (which was strapped to the top of a bike trailer) down to San Leandro Bay and went canoeing and just talked for hours.

More recently, despite us being in our own new-ish little worlds, our interests have continued to grow and take similar paths. We spent a lot of time that day talking about medicinal plants and herbalism, something Leah has learned a lot about, and I'm hoping to. She's recently taken up knitting. And for the past two years, we've had a jam swap, sending each other different types of jams that we've made over the summer/fall. Her passion and energy and curiosity and generosity is so inspiring. Despite being far away, and maybe not keeping in the closest touch, I know we'll always be friends.