The time is finally here!
I left Portland yesterday, flew to San Francisco airport and spent one night at Hotel Aura by the airport. Fun fact, apparently I stayed at that hotel 5 years ago and I think this time I got the same room as the last time. It was a nice and clean room. It was nice to sleep on a bed after a week I slept on the air mattress. I was so tired last night after I dragged my heavy bags, I passed out and slept for a good 6 hours.

I took a cab to the hotel from the airport because the taxi area was just right outside the baggage claim. I thought it would be easier. The taxi driver asked me for the address of the hotel because he could only used a specific GPS and that GPS only took addresses instead of name of places. We got lost! After 15 minutes of driving, I asked him if he wanted me to use my GPS. He said yes. My GPS is only Google maps and somehow we made it to the hotel. He told me that I only needed to give him $25 instead of the full fare of $29. I gave him $31 because that’s all cash I had left. I didn’t really feel that he needed to take the blame for it since the GPS was the one that messed it up.

I spent yesterday with my family. We had dinner and they dropped me off at the airport. I was so sad. After I hugged them and told them how much I love them, I walked through the gate. I sat down at one of the seats and I realized that I am actually doing this. I never imagine in my life that I would just quit my job, sold everything, just have my bags with me, left Portland my home for 22 years, and left my family.

Most of travel vloggers on YouTube, they never shown this part of their journeys. The part where you realized that damn, I am on my own now and I am actually going to try to live out my dream. I might fail, I know I will cry, anxiety will eating me, but I will also meet new people, eat new food, looking at beautiful things, experiencing life in new countries, and for that I am grateful.