My last day in Europe

As the title clearly states, today is my last day in the UK, and subsequently, Europe. Tomorrow I make the 16 hour journey to San Francisco. First stop, London. Then LA and finally SF. I've packed my 23 kg of luggage, mostly consisting of warm layers, waterproofs and various gear that will help me to survive on a remote island for 3 months. All that is left for me to do is to check-in online, print off various documents which are a triumph in themselves (it is ridiculously hard to get long-term travel insurance which involves living on a rugged island surrounded by large grumpy mammals, especially as I have moved between countries in the last 12 months).

I've said goodbye to my friends, my girlfriend, and I am spending my last day with my parents. It will certainly be different spending Christmas, New year, and Valentines day away, but I'm sure that it will be an experience I will never forget. Now that I have researched SF and what there is to do, I'm really looking forward to a tired Tuesday exploring.

Golden gate bridge (Wikipedia)

My plan is to wander along the waterfront to fishermans wharf to see all of the fish vendors, and to Pier 39 to see the Californian sea lions which have made it a favourite haul out spot. As this will be my first sighting of a species which will share the Farallones with me, I am rather excited to see them!

A busy day at Pier 39 (criticallyrated.com)

My next stop will of course be the bridge itself, which I plan to walk over, and possibly explore the national park if time allows. I'm aiming to see china town and downtown too, but if I don't manage to fit them in this week, I'll be back in February during my time off from the island.

My next post is likely to be either whilst very tired in SF, busy in Petaluma (the location of the Point Blue Conservation Science office), or on the island itself. Therefore it may consist purely of photos, so the above should give you an idea of what I was up to!