My first day of my sabbatical was comparable to that of an ordinary weekend where I'd spend in the bay area. One thing I overly enjoyed was the simple pleasure of meeting up with a friend (Hey Jamie!) at a coffee shop and working. Philz Coffee in San Mateo had me dancing with my Tesora at eleven in the morning and I had to know who's playlist it was. To my disappointment, it was no particular barista's creation, but the masterminds behind Pandora's engineering team (I assume). Whatever algorithm generated Lauryn Hill Radio Station did a Monday morning good. Ironically, it's our friend, Zara's, first day at work a la Pandora! I'm probably using "a la" incorrectly, but it sounded nice so I'm sticking with it. In any case, I'm going to guess that it was a sign 😝 Didn't you know? Everything's a sign! #lulz.
What was particularly nice was that after I left Philz, I debated going for a haircut but decided to visit Eden, my co-worker and previous Uber manager, instead. Why is that so special?
(1) Well, spontaneity was something that I use to be good at, but the past 5 years did lead me to a life of pre-scheduled dates and events and living by my Google Calendar like it was the Holy Grail. Ya, not so sexy. It felt nice to make impulsive decisions - even if it was flip flopping back and forth between doing something as mundane as getting a haircut or not. Did it make me feel sexy? Not quite, but it was close.
(2) More importantly, Eden and I celebrated both our 'Day 1' sabbaticals with a quick catchup. For those who don't know: Eden met me when I was 22 years old. I walked to Uber's 405 Howard St office with metal braces on my teeth (I was particularly interested in getting braces, so I got them - don't ask me why) and 6 months of working experience. I still don't know how I happened to win her, Ryan Graves, and Sophia Bianchi over (it must have been the braces... see, that's why!) but I got the job at Uber and the rest is history. To spend my first day off with someone who has been there with me since the start and who also has their first day off... I mean, it's totally a sign!
Ok, I'll stop. But again, the theme of gratitude keeps filling my heart as it fills this entry. As I approach age 29, it's crazy to think of where I came from... who I was before Uber... who I was during Uber... and who I am 5 years later. What a #ride! 🚜
I didn't take a pic with Eden or of her fluffy animals, but this is the view right by her apartment. WOWZAA!
To end, my day wasn't short of events. I enjoyed the company of Viv and Grace for a 'before-I-go' dinner at ROAM Artisan Burgers where I pathetically asked the cashier if there was sugar in nearly every item on the menu (#Whole30woes) and stared at the girls' collection of fried goods (longingly) as we exchanged book recommendations. I now have a read for the plane ride if AmazonPrime works it's magic and I get "Crazy Rich Asians" by Kevin Kwan in the mail by Wednesday. Hurrah!
It was totally a sign! :) xoxo
ReplyDeleteHehe, love you Eden!
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