I spent New Year’s in the Bay Area and had a great time — so I thought I’d share some highlights from the trip.
My parents and I drove up together last Monday and arrived at my Aunt and Uncle’s home in Oakland. We first did a 3-mile walk around Lake Merritt.
Fun fact: Lake Merritt was one of the first “runs” I ever did, approximately 12-13 years ago. I remember being so proud of myself for running THREE whole miles.
That same night, I took BART into the Mission district of SF to meet my roommates from when I lived in Madrid for dinner! Kerren lives in the Palo Alto area, Federica was visiting from Italy, and Alia is an SF local.
Kerren, Federica, me, and Alia.
We had a great time chatting (all in Spanish!) and diving into some great Italian food at Beretta!
I would absolutely recommend both items I tried: the bruschetta made with walnut bread and mushroom truffle honey, and the squid ink and calamari risotto.
Franny also joined us. Kerren and Alia knew her in college at UC Davis, and I got to know her when I lived in Madrid (she was in Granada but visited us a few times). 
I took BART back to the East Bay that night. On New Year’s Eve morning, my family and I went to Redwood Regional Park. It worked out perfectly so while they walked 2 miles, I ran 4. My mom nabbed this photo for me. I was feelin’ those hills!
I loved the park — but there were so many darn off-leash dogs!
After we exercised, we headed to a German restaurant called Brotzeit. German food and beer transported me right back to Vienna, where I spent a week in March 2013. 
No trip to the Bay would be complete without Blue Bottle.
That evening, my uncle was nice enough to give me a lift over to SF, where I celebrated 2014 with two of my best friends from college — Kathleen and Michelle.
We had a table reserved at a fun wine bar in the Marina/Cow Hollow area called Cellar Door. It was nice, festive, and low-key — and since wine has never been my drink of choice, I knew I would not start 2014 feeling like death.
I crashed on Kathleen’s couch and woke up for a New Year’s Day 5-miler. Hard to beat this view: 
I also caught a glimpse of Alcatraz from the Lyon Steps.
Later that morning, I joined Kathleen (and her boyfriend, Miles) and Michelle and a few other of their SF friends for brunch at The Corner Store. Everything was delicious — but that biscuit breakfast sando was the best. 
Later that day, Michelle and I hit up the Soul-Cycle on Union St. It was a great class — and I joked that it wouldn’t be a holiday if I didn’t pull a two-a-day!
I spent that night at Michelle’s — we enjoyed a Mexican feast at Uno Dos Taco on Polk Street and caught up.
I took BART to OAK the next morning (my parents had driven home a day and a half earlier).
It was a fabulous trip and made me so thankful and appreciative of my friendships with my college girlfriends that have remained strong — despite the distance!
How did you ring in 2014?
Did you get in a New Year’s Day sweat sesh?
That's G 