Stephanie Kastner

Yesterday I took on the challenge of exploring a new nature walk/hike in my area. I chose Buena Vista Park, which I discovered mid-hike is actually the oldest formal park in San Francisco! It was a beautiful day for hiking and I managed to work up a sweat on some of the steeper sections of the hill, but the views are (true to the name) very rewarding. Below are 2 photos, one near the park's entrance on Haight Street, and another of the view looking north towards the Marin Headlands - that's St. Ignatius Church and USF in the background.

I typically go grocery shopping once a week and was excited to put my meal planning to the test yesterday! I found some good deals on produce and am hoping yesterday's shop might even last me a week and a half or 2 weeks if I can stretch what I already have at home. It's a great exercise in culinary creativity.

I've really been liking my new habit of writing down 3 things I'm grateful for every day. One of today's items: I got up long before sunrise and got to see a little bit of the city while most people are still asleep or getting ready for work. It's a view I haven't experienced in a long time.

Even though it was raining hard today, I managed to fit in almost a 30-minute walk! Adela Cruz kindly lent me her umbrella to run some errands and I started out feeling stressed about time, but ended up really enjoying my walk in the rain. I picked up supplies that we needed back at the office while also getting a little exercise in the middle of the day.