This is the picture that started it all. A romance. A cultural awakening. A transformation into citizens of the world. A thirst for travel. At the time, Tim had only taken one flight: to Italy to embark on a 4 month study abroad in Florence. Although I had a few more flights under my belt, I had never been away from my family and had the palate of a 10 year old.

Since then, Tim and I have traveled to 12 countries and countless states together. Our first return as husband and wife, almost nine years later, we are grateful to the city that helped shape who we are today. Infinitely more adventurous, both in travel and in appetite.

2016 was full of heartbreak, but taught us to appreciate the moment. And although this will be a short trip, this homecoming serves as a reminder of where we’ve been and where we’re headed. And for that, we are eternally grateful.

Quando l’amico chiede, non v’è domain.

A friend of mine recently asked for some recommendations for her upcoming trip to San Francisco and it got me reminiscing on the last time I was in town. It was an extra special trip because this was where Tim asked me to marry him. And although the trip was almost two years ago, I still remember every last detail – except what he said to me when he proposed. That remains a mystery to this day (I was too busy sobbing like a mad woman).

EAT

The food in SF is terrific. It’s true what they say – California cows are happy cows. And it shows. The wine culture really lends itself to gourmet food at any budget here

The view from outside the Ferry Building

$ - Ferry Building in Embarcadero. Sample different offerings from local vendors. My favorite is the ricotta and local honey from Cowgirl Creamery.

$$ - Ryoko’s in Nob Hill. Sure, you can find a lot of great sushi in this city, but there’s something charming about this one. We sat at the sushi bar and watched the chefs in action. Freshness was top notch.

$$$ - Frascati in Russian Hill. The wine, the service and the duck breast were all divine. And the neighborhood here is the cutest.

PLAY

Make some new friends at Pier 39

Bike around the Presidio for unparalleled views of the Golden Gate bridge. If you get hungry, stop in at the Presidio Social Club for some bites and cocktails.

Climb to the top of Nob Hill and Coit Tower for specular city views and a killer workout.

DRINK

No trip to San Francisco is complete without a visit to wine country. I’ve been to parts of Sonoma and Napa but my favorite town of all Calistoga. I may be biased because this is where we went after Tim proposed, but the town is so quaint and the restaurants are phenomenal. We had a chef’s tasting at JoLe and it was one of the best meals of our lives.

And the best part is there are so many vineyards nearby!

Sterling Vineyards is nearby and offer a large selection. You must also check out some smaller vineyards. TIP: you usually need a reservation and some are member-only tastings. Truchard Vineyard in Carneros is my absolute favorite (obviously). Others we considered: Castello di Amorosa (looks like an Italian Villa) and Schramsberg (champs!!!!)

Finally, if you head up North to the vineyards, I highly recommend driving west to Jenner, CA. This is where the Russian River meets the Pacific and the view is absolutely worth the drive.

Shout out to Cara for inspiring today's post. Hope you enjoy your trip to SF!