Getting Lost in San Francisco

Ever since I got back from Redding for winter break, I wanted to find a bookstore, a bookstore that wasn't Barnes and Noble. A bookstore that was small, had walls and walls of shelves of books. I was on a mission because I wanted to find a place I could call, "My bookstore that I could retreat to." On this day I was in San Francisco to hang out with some of my friends from high school, but halfway to my dad's work, I got a text saying that the whole hang out session was going to be rescheduled. So I decided to just spend a day in my favorite city in the world. Now because I didn't want to go far from my dad's work at the Palace Hotel, I checked on my phone to see where the closest bookstore was and with no surprise, there was a Barnes and Noble only four blocks away. So I decided to kill time there after I had lunch until my dad got off of work. 

After having lunch at the Dinning Hall, which is where my dad works in the Palace,  I started on my voyage to Barnes and Noble. After about 15 minutes I enter the place where my phones claims to have a B and N, but after taking a 5 minute recon of the place, I couldn't find it. I went to the directory and there is no Barnes and Noble there. I said to myself, "My phone has lied to me!!" I was so confused and I was only on 10% of battery life left in my phone, so I decide to go to the second Barnes and Noble which is a 45 minute walk. I thought to myself  it would be crazy for me to go all the way over there. I still had 6 hours to kill, so I thought, "why not? I guess when I get there I could charge my phone." So I began to follow the directions my phone was telling me and just in case my phone would die, I looked ahead in the directions and tried to memorize the street names and the longest street that I had to walk was almost 12 miles: Columbus Ave. I also started to wonder if my phone was lying to me again and I would have walked 12 miles for nothing, but nonetheless I didn't want to pass up a potential adventure.

Because I was making sure that I was going to right way, I continued to look at the map which cause the battery to drain. I tried my best to restrain myself from turning on my phone, but I started to think that I should go back to my dad's work because I knew it would be awhile until I'd get my phone charged and if my phone died and my dad called, I wouldn't want to worry him. I made a deal with myself that if my phone died, I would turn around and head back to my dad's work. 5 more minutes into the walk I took out my phone to quickly check how much longer until I got to the cross street and before I knew it, my phone dies... (MEGA SAD FACE)

I was only a couple of feet away from the stoplight, so I thought I would cross the street and head my way back on the opposite side of the road. But in that instant my phone died and I began to near the stoplight, I looked to my left and saw the best thing I have seen on Columbus Avenue.

A BOOKSTORE!!!! I was so happy and excited I forgot all about my phone and the possibility that my dad might call to check up on me and because my phone was dead, he wouldn't know where I was, causing him to worry and that was the last thing I wanted on my dad's mind. I told myself that I would have a quick look around and be on my way back to the Palace. But I couldn't help myself, I wanted to stay there until I found a book I wanted to read and, of course, like every girl that goes into a store: I wanted to buy something. I knew as I walked around that bookstore, I HAD to buy a book.

You know how serial killers keep relics or momentums to remember their victims? Well I wanted to do the same for that bookstore. I wanted to buy a book from City Lights Bookstore that reminded me of that place and the adventure that got me there.

It took me about 3 minutes to figure out how the bookstore was organized and after about 20 minutes I found my momentum: "Little Women," by Louisa May Alcott. I have never read this book and I saw this special edition of this book on a YouTube video made my BooksandQuils and I though I would read it, I also really liked the design cover of the book.

After paying for the book, I stepped out of the bookstore and was thrown back into my state of nervousness. All I knew was to walk back down Columbus Avenue until I saw Washington St. which is where the original Barnes and Noble was supposed to be. If my tuition of San Francisco is right, I remember that Mission St. leads directly to the San Francisco Port. In about 15 minutes I got to the Columbus Ave. and Washington St. For some reason I looked out into the distance and saw a building that only looked like my dad's work, so I decided to head in that direction. Throughout this time I had one of my favorite Christian songs stuck in my head, "Oceans," by Hillsong, specifically the lyrics:

"Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders

Let me walk upon the waters

Wherever You would call me

Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander

And my faith will be made stronger

In the presence of my savior".

I was completely willing to get lost because I knew that God was leading me in the right direction. I believe he was using my fear of being lost that once I was safe and back in an area I was familiar with, "my faith will be made stronger." Is that crazy? All the nervousness went away and I know I could have just walked into one of the stores to ask for directions, but I didn't. I kept my eye on the building that only looked like my dad's work and as I got closer I reached Mission St. And I knew once I found Mission St. I could find the Palace Hotel because it was a cross street to New Montgomery, the street where the Palace resided. And the building that looked like my dad's work REALLY was my dad's work. I was mind blown and in awe. I went into the Palace and saw that I could charge my phone there. I sat in one of the fancy chairs that decorated both sides of the lobby and as my phone charged, I sat there reading my new book with only one thought left on my mind: "God lead my feet."