San Francisco, California

I am so delighted to share some more pictures from my March trip out to California for my doctors appointment. Yesterday I shared with y'all my fun in discovering a little part of historic Redwood City and today I wanted to share a few pictures from San Francisco. As y'all know from my Notes from the Porch sixteen update I only had about 48 hours in California (not including my time in the airport). Because it was such a short trip I was so happy to have the chance to spend about an hour after my appointment going into San Francisco and seeing the famous Golden Gate Bridge. Because I had such a short time (and because after my appointment I was exhausted) I took some "short cuts" and side roads to get to the bridge so that I could miss most of the traffic in downtown. While I missed a lot of the heart of the city (and hope to visit it at some point!) I was delighted to see parts of San Francisco and have time at the bridge (which provided gorgeous views!).

 It was so interesting to see this whale painting on this wall here in San Francisco. When I had been in Key West  in February there had been a similar one done by the same artist! 

As this church came fully into view I was mesmerized by it. It reminded me of so many European churches that I saw when I studied abroad. The architecture was so unique and the stone work was stunning. I was so glad that traffic was stopped for a few minutes at a light so that I could snap some pictures!

As I drove by it and snapped one more picture of this beautiful church I was so delighted to have had the opportunity to spend a few minutes driving through the city! I definitely would like to explore more of San Francisco in the future! 

It was such a blessing to have a short burst of energy to drive through the city towards the bridge. I was so thankful to God for this blessing! As I have said before, California definitely steals a little piece of my heart every time I visit. I have to smile as I think about the ways that I have seen (in my brief time in California) that the northern and southern parts of California are so different and yet I have fallen in love with both parts I have seen. Newport Beach area was a definite love of mine to travel and live in last year and San Francisco, while different, has captured me too. 

I can't help but smile as I think about how personal the Lord is in our lives. I have always loved to travel and explore- whether it is just in my hometown, visiting a new state, or going abroad. I love seeing different cultures, understanding how people live, meeting new people, and seeing all of the amazing things that the Lord has created. Being sick has definitely put a screeching halt to that part of me as my "exploration" on most days is to try a different street to my doctors appointments. In the midst of all of that though the Lord has been so kind to lead me to the best doctors for my particular case (with the complexities of Lyme, Cancer, and now this environmental illness) to a state that I continue to fall in love with. While I hate that the doctors are so far away from where I am I can't help but notice the simple fact that the God who created me blesses me in these amazing ways. I hope and pray that as you face difficulties and suffering today that the Lord shows you His unique hand print in your life and the blessings that He is giving you each day! I can't wait to share more pictures of the beautiful San Francisco Bay soon! I hope y'all have a wonderful Tuesday!