Today was a glorious day as the Blue Planet Run made its return to the US with a beautiful clear day in the San Francisco bay area. For Brynn and me, the return was even sweeter because we call the bay area home. We arrived back from Japan yesterday morning and had the rest of the day to relax and recoup. We made a quick stop at our apartment in Menlo Park before heading into the city to have dinner with a few friends. Catching up with close friends was food for the soul. Although we have formed a lot of strong new bonds with the other runners and staff members over the past two months on the run, there is nothing more nourishing to the spirit than spending time with longtime friends.

Feeling rested from our first full night’s sleep in over a week, we were full of energy as we headed out to complete our running legs for the day, which took us through the most spectacular and famous sites of the bay area. Brynn’s run took her along the Pacific Ocean via the Great Highway, through Golden Gate park and then eventually down to the Embarcadero, where we had our main San Francisco exchange point. I felt a real sense of place as we followed her in the van, as the different sites sparked fond memories from the past couple of years.

We had a good crowd for the Embarcadero exchange, including a handful of journalists and a couple of camera crews. As we waited for Brynn to arrive, the rest of our team hopped up on stage and used the microphone to spread the message, tell stories from the run, and get people excited about the cause. It felt so good to be able to speak English, and to know that people could actually understand us.

Three of my close friends, along with four other BPR supporters, joined me for my running leg, which took us along the Embarcadero, past Fisherman’s Wharf, through the Marina and up to the Golden Gate Bridge. A few people that obviously knew about BPR cheered us along the way and we had amazing views of Alcatraz and the rest of the bay. What a treat to be able to run with friends again. At the bridge, I said goodbye to my escort runners and waited for the rest of Team Orange so that we could all run across the bridge together, since it was such a special opportunity.

Running across the Golden Gate Bridge was a definite highlight for me on the run so far. It was actually the first time I’d ever run across it, and the thrill of it was amazing. We finished the night eating at our friend’s restaurant in Corte Madero, the Pacific Catch, and were even greeted by a woman there that knew about BPR and showered us with support.

What a day!