It took me a little bit longer time than expected to put this San Francisco travel diary post together as I have so many photos to share and a video (still in the making) to publish. Finally, here is a blog entry that is worth waiting for. Instead of writing about my itinerary spontaneously like I used to, I'll try to summarize the entire trip and make it a list of recommendations, so if you are visiting the Bay area for the first time, you know what to do in San Francisco. 

First thing first, an iconic airplane window view. Leaving Singapore during sunrise and catching the next flight to San Francisco during sunset, I couldn't ask for a better time to fly. After a 7 hour flight, we landed safely in Narita (Tokyo). 

We flew United Airlines. Although the flights were quite pleasant, the food didn't impress me much. The portion was small and the food quality was just average. Nonetheless, I had a smooth and comfortable flight and that's all that matters. 

Arrived at San Francisco on Sunday morning, my friend and I had time to settle down and had a good rest before we started exploring the Bay area. First stop, Fisherman's Wharf of San Francisco.

Fisherman's Wharf is a must-visit place whenever you are in San Francisco. It offers a wide range of land, sea, and air activities such as: San Francisco bay boat cruises, seaplane rides, or bay city bikes. My friend suggested me to try the famous clam chowder so I did. I ordered the seafood spaghetti as my main course and by the time I finished the clam chowder, I was already full. The food was so fresh, so tasty and so much that no matter how much I tried to eat, I couldn't finish it all. 

To cut the long story short, the first thing you should do when you visit Fisherman's Wharf is have the clam chowder and seafood spaghetti. 

The second thing is watching the sunset at the Pier. Trust me, it will blow your mind. 

From this sunset view on the street 

to this view at the Pier 

and the cotton candy sunset that I shared in this blog entry, everything will make your heart sing. 

When the tummy was happy (and full), my eyes started "demanding" for a little rest. Pier2620Hotels knew how important a good sleep is, they put me in a big room with a spacious bed. The rest was a history. 

Next morning, we headed to our office after a good night's sleep. The weather was pretty chilly in the morning (Spring time), but when the sun came out, everything was looking at its best. The sky was blue, the air was crisp, and the flowers were blossoming. In my To-do list, I wrote "Visit The Presidio of San Francisco". Little did I know, I did not only visit this beautiful place, but I came here to work every day when I was there. 

I mean, how lucky could it be for us to call this place our office playground? 

Having a short walk to our lunch place. 

Our office window view. 

Said "Hi" to this little guy, Yoda everyday when I was there. 

Our bright and beautiful canteen area. 

With my awesome team on the first day at work. 

I missed this Vietnamese beef noodle soup. 

And here is the scenic walk around our office in The Presidio of San Francisco. 

If you still don't want to visit this place after seeing those photos, I don't know what else to recommend you. 

Perhaps, you'll find something interesting in my next blog post. For now, thank you for being so patient and following along my journey.  

I remember when I was 18 years old, my mom bought me a delicate white gold necklace as a birthday gift. She said "Your jewelries sometimes can say a lot about your personality". She hoped that tiny necklace with a heart pendant could tell people that I'm a small girl with a big heart, who is sensitive, emotional and fragile.

Then, when I was 20 years old, I left Vietnam to study in Malaysia. Living in another country alone taught me to be independent, be strong, and be fearless. Aggressiveness and stubbornness followed along unfortunately. I found the black leather accessories with spikes and studs most interesting and they were the only necklaces or bracelets that I wore all day long. I felt like a rock-chic who was always ready for her fights.

I learned so many valuable lessons during this time through my failures and hardships. I still remember on one beautiful day, there was a random voice inside my head kept telling me "Nobody cares if you are angry or upset. Anger, aggressiveness or stubborn won't solve anything. It will only hurt yourself more than anyone else". That voice woke me up and made me realize why I hadn't had a taste of true happiness for a long time. I needed a change.  A big change.

I left Malaysia and moved to Singapore at the age of 25 to start all over again. Although it wasn't easy at first, but I tried my best to be patient (with myself and other people), be calm, and be positive. I changed those leather necklaces to the gold jewelries with lots of details and colors as seen on this post. Pearl wasn't in my list at all, simply because I always associated pearls with a much more mature women. 

Now that I have passed the number 30, instead of wearing colorful statement pieces, I only love  dainty rings, delicate yellow gold necklaces, and (guess what) pearls. I no longer see pearls as a part of an old woman's closet.  I see it as a beauty that is produced through pain, time and even sacrifice. People often think pearl jewelries are more appropriate to be worn at a glamorous dinner and dance party or a special event. I say they can be worn at any time or anywhere as long as you like it. I broke the rules and paired these elegant Misaki earrings and necklaces with an edgy all denim outfit. Who knew they could compliment each other so well.

 Just like how this Misaki Hung set breaks the rules with daring and grace, I'm trying to be the woman who lives her life with beauty and strength. 

Thank you so much for reading!

Photos: Zoey Bui

::Outfit::

Zara denim button-down shirt- Similar here

Flare denim jeans- Thanks Esprit

Daniel Wellington watch (Quote "CrystalPhuong" for 15% off)

Gold & pearl necklace and earrings- Thanks Misaki Jewellery

Proenza Schouler handbag

Thierry Mugler sunglasses

Melissa sandals

On the last Friday in San Francisco, I finished my work early and took a chance to explore the other neighborhood before it went completely dark. Thanks Valentino for making these trendy yet comfortable boots, I was able to walk blocks after blocks without pain. By the time I needed to stop to catch my breath, I found myself standing in the middle of the Embarcadero at sunset. A perfect location at the perfect timing. Everything seemed to work so well in the end. 

The Embarcadero has a wide pleasant sidewalk along the City's eastern shoreline, being a great place to walk, bike or skate. If you are in San Francisco, I would highly recommend you to go for a walk at this place, either in the morning to enjoy some fresh air or in the evening to experience San Francisco during rush hour. 

I was there when the sun began to set and I was lucky to witness how San Francisco transformed in between day and night. The street started lightening up, blending in with the cotton candy sky, and creating such a colorful and sparkling picture. The temperature slowly dipped and the wind became less enjoyable at night. But it didn't bother me much as I was having a great time at a place that was full of energy and lights.

My last night in San Francisco couldn't be more magical, don't you think? 

Thank you so much for reading! 

Photos by: Kathleen Sheffer Photography

::Outfit::

BCBG trench coat- Similar here 

ZARA denim- Similar here

Forever21 necklace

Milly handbag- Similar here

Valentino sunglasses

Valentino studded boots (old)

Carlson scarf- Similar here

Uniqlo turtleneck sweater- Similar here 

If you ask me when the best time is to visit San Francisco, my answer would be "The best time is when you are there". I mean it. Forget people 's recommendations that say you should go during Summer, Fall or Winter. Until you place your footstep on that land, nothing else matters. It wasn't my decision to pick the best time to visit San Francisco.

I was there on a mission, so whether it's sunny or stormy, I had to be there. It was Spring when I visited San Francisco. The weather was colder than I expected, but I loved it. I don't get to wear thigh high boots or trench coat in Singapore, so there was nothing to complain about.

Flowers were blossoming everywhere. The sun actually peeked out during the day to give us warmth and to brighten our day despite the strong and cold wind. But the best part of my entire trip was spending 8 hours in The Presidio of San Francisco every weekday to work.

When I posted a few photos of this place on my Instagram, my friends went crazy. When I told them this was where my company is, they thought I was kidding. I can't blame them because if I wasn't actually there, I would think the same way. But guess what, life is always full of surprises, you'll never know what will hit you.

Thank you so much for reading!

Photos by: Kathleen Sheffer Photography

::Outfit::

Nasty Gal boyfriend blazer- Similar here

ZARA  bow blouse- Similar here

GUESS thigh high boots

Milly handbag- Similar here

TomFord sunglasses

As soon as the first relaxing night in San Francisco was over, I was sucked into the whirlpool of work the next day nonstop. There were training and meetings back to back, so much that whenever I looked at the watch, it was either time to go for lunch or to head home. I heard so much about how hard people in Silicon Valley work, but nothing was like what I imagined until I really worked there. Everyone was so focused, dynamic, energetic, and driven. It's hard not to feel motivated when I'm hanging around with people like that. Although, I'm a workaholic by nature, seeing everyone busy chasing their own goals makes me feel like I wasn't working hard enough at all.

I can't tell you how much I enjoyed my time in San Francisco, including the crispy weather of Spring, which helped to fight the jetlag and gave me the perfect chance to power up my fashion games: layering. I brought many basic pieces with me on this trip as they are so easy to style. I mean, we can never go wrong with a white turtle-neck top, a classic black trench coat and thigh high boots. The rest of what I was wearing were my treasures found in San Francisco.

I knew my wallet would be in trouble whenever I'm in the US, but this kind of trouble will surely make me happy.

Thank you so much for reading! 

Photos: Kathleen Sheffer Photography

::Outfit::

Uniqlo x Carine Roitfeld leather trench coat- Currently on sales. 

Uniqlo turtleneck top- Similar here

Zara white denim jeans- Similar here

Guess over the knee boots- Similar here

Milly handbag

Tom Ford sunglasses

Michael Kors watch