the first 24 hours....

Arrived at 10:30 A.M. Pacific time...(1:30 eastern)...

I love a city with amazing public transportation...rode the train with no driver around the airport to take the Bart. Luckily Drake was near the computer to I could figure out exactly where I was supposed to go to my first house.

Go figure.....I walk down the one street in Sono that I'm not supposed to. Apparently since they have cleaned up this section the vagrants, bums & addicts encompass a small stretch of 6th street...the one I walked down ;o)

Found my house and met my amazing Host (Thanks Brook!!). Heath is like a long lost brother/friend who welcomed me with open arms....and tons of gay kisses since. Gorgeous apartment...AMAZING view. He took me to the rooftop to get my bearings and it is a gorgeous view of the city. (Stay tune for pictures...I will have to make it back up there when I have time)

After chilling for a few hours I made my way to the welcome reception for school. Got to walk a LONG way there but it was beautiful. (Did I mention the weather is perfect??!!??)

I was a little early...perfect because there was one other person early & we shared a drink. Kai has become my partner in crime since. Did the obligatory meet & greet, got name tags & received my goody bag. In true San Francisco style, it's a clear shoulder bag with 15 pockets filled with condoms in each. I now have my own personalized condom!!!

Exhausted by repeating the same information & feeling a little rundown, Kai & I began our hunt for coffee. Luckily he had a GPS...we found the 1st shop the waiter recommended. Closed.

GPS located another one a few blocks away...we made our way & found it...Closed.

I had seen a Starbucks on my way to the restaurant...punched into the GPS, found our way there...Closed.

Kai called her friend Ellen to pick us up but she was in Oakland so we had to wait a little. We decided to make it to the bay to sit which was across the street from the restaurant we were at. Sigh.

They weren't lying when they said it gets cold at night, so we hid behind the concrete barriers to hide from the wind. Finally looked in our goody bag to find school schedules, film schedules, ticket vouchers, more condoms, lube & a sex coupon book - all compliments of Good Vibrations.

Did I mention I LOVE San Francisco???

Ellen picked us up and decided to show us the Castro. Yay!

After parking we walked...again. Driving everywhere in Virginia did not prepare me for all this walking!!!

Rainbow flag everywhere...BEAUTIFUL!!!

We asked some gay boys which bar is cool and happening...but before we made it there we stopped by the smoke shop. Deal on smokes with a zippo...and the beautiful gay boy filled it up for me...no mean gay boys here!

We made it to Badlands...sausage fest but great music. Cheap drinks. Video screen showing old music videos of Janet Jackson, new Pussycat Dolls and some songs I've never heard before. Ellen & Kai love Pitbull "I Know You Want Me" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFryG9ON7Tw

Try to get that out of your head....

Smoking outside the bar since they don't allow it inside...you meet quite a few interesting people. Add to that a very friendly lesbian & you hav the makings of an interesting time.

Kai & I were both exhausted so finally about midnight we made it back to the car. Yay..a ride back to Heath's.

Shower. Bed. Heath has the most amazing couch ever...and my dreams were vibrant & beautiful.

Not bad for the first 14 hours.

I wake to the gorgeous sun...sleep for a little more than have to make my way for the introduction breakfast. As I walked to school, I pass a sex shop advertising Buck Angel. Awesome!!! I LOVE his work and had great email interaction with both him & his manager. Glad to see this awesome city supporting his work.

My school is located on Market Street, a main throroughfare. It is also located in the midst of the shopping district so as I passed Juicy Couture & Bebe I window shopped at their beautiful garments. Half a block later I realized I passed the school. Go figure it was right next to Bebe which is why I missed it.

Met other people, Kai surprisingly made it early too and had a great start.

Orientation with the director of the Institute...I will dedicate a whole blog to him & his work. AMAZING. He started this Institute in Amsterdam. To hear positive sexuality and the development of...Wow.

The classes are amazing - I'm on the teaching sex track. The orientation for that class being taught by a great gay man was wicked cool. Lunch with fellow students - a lesbian hip hop artist from NYC who is researching Homo-hop and a psych major becoming a sex therapist.

Afternoon class of Queer Theory in Pop Culture...sigh. Love it!

Have to make my way to Barnes & Nobles to get school texts but I needed a little down time so off to Heath's I go.