SF? More like SV (Haha Get It, like Silicon Valley)
Is it me, or does it seem like I have been writing about San Francisco for months? Because honestly, I feel like every time I open up a new document to write, it’s just about SF. Well guess what y’all, today is going to be no different. Time for SF part 3! Also I definitely wrote this to post on Monday and I completely forgot so here we are, ready for Thursday.
We woke up bright and early on Thursday because that was our first real day of our trip. I don’t think I really explained why I was in San Francisco, but to fill you in, I was there on a trip courtesy of my school’s Undergraduate Career Services (UCS)! The amazing faculty at the UCS had planned a two day intensive trip to the West Coast so we could visit a bunch of amazing tech companies.
Jordan and I started our morning by crossing the street and taking in the sights of the city through the Starbucks window. It was still dark out, and the only people awake were people going to work, and I felt very business-y with my smart casual outfit and pink tote. Also, I was wearing these amazing tortoise shell boots that I am IN LOVE WITH, but I’m getting off track lol.
Once it was time to Uber to our meeting location with the rest of the people who had come to SF with the UCS, it got a little interesting. Jordan and I were about to leave when this homeless guy inside Starbucks started yelling. Because of that, Jordan and I were like um and decided to skrt out of there and try to quickly find our Uber.
But apparently the homeless guy was yelling at us because he followed us out onto the street and started yelling even louder, and by that time I was like what is going on. Thankfully, our Uber quickly pulled up and we jumped in. Our driver realized what was happening right away and drove away really fast. It was definitely an interesting way to start the morning, but after that I was awake.
We were all meeting to go on a bus together so we could all travel to Silicon Valley because we were visiting three major companies: Facebook, Google, and Apple. Our first stop was Facebook, and it was going to take a little bit to get there.
One thing I don’t like about the West Coast is that literally no one knows how to drive. Everyone is so slow and drives like it’s their first time on the highway which is soo frustrating. Our drive ended up being kind of long because of the bad traffic, but I guess there wasn’t much I could do to fix it.
Once we arrived at Facebook, it took a little bit to get us situated. The building was a little bit inconspicuous (definitely on purpose), and you couldn’t tell we were at Facebook unless you knew we were going to Facebook.
We got inside, and everyone immediately were handed badges and signed an NDA form. So honestly, I don’t know how much I can tell you about Facebook, but I can definitely tell you this: their headquarters is AMAZING.
We got to walk around inside and see all of the cool graphics and paintings all over the walls. You could definitely tell that we were at a tech company. One of my favorite parts about Facebook was the rooftop garden with the view of the Bay in the far distance. If I ever worked there, I would never leave that roof.
After a little tour, we got the chance to eat lunch there. Everyday Facebook serves a hot bar with different dishes, and honestly it was delicious. I got yummy macaroni and some other things I can’t remember because everything was so amazing I couldn’t focus lmao. I made friends with some of the people from our group over lunch, and it was nice to experience something like this with other people.
Eventually, our tour of Facebook ended and I was left feeling really inspired and excited about the rest of our trip. We hopped back in the bus and we were on to Google.
Google has always been hyped up to be this really cool place, and the moment I stepped onto their campus, I understood why. There were Google-colored bikes everywhere, people chatting and lounging around, and dogs trotting along looking like the happiest puppies in the world. It was a really cool thing to see.
Unfortunately, the majority of the real Google spaces where employees work were off limits. Like Facebook, we signed an NDA. But unlike Facebook, we had a very strict tour where we could only go where our tour guide went. It felt a lot more regulated with a lot more security.
We got to see Google’s self-driving cars in action all while getting our steps in. Google’s campus is HUGE, and we were walking everywhere. By the time we were ready to go back to our bus, I was tired.
We headed off to our last place for the day: Apple. Unfortunately, we weren’t allowed inside their actual headquarters so instead we went to their visitor center in Menlo Park. It was basically just a huge Apple store but still, I was into it.
Eventually, it was time for us to head back to the city and turns out that yes, the traffic can get WORSE. Jordan and I both realized that we definitely had not eaten enough at Facebook and by the time we were back in the traffic, we were both starving.
Our drive consisted of a lot of stopping and waiting but eventually, after a very long hour and a half (almost!) we made it back to the city where we were going to an IU alumni event! I was excited to see some IU/Kelley grads, and I was even more excited for the food.
The event was being held at a beautiful spot right on the water, and I was 100% into it. And once the food came out I was like 150% more into it.
I got to chat with more of the kids from my group and meet amazing alumni who were now working their dream jobs at different tech companies. The event flew by, and by the time we were done, Jordan and I realized we were hungry again.
So, we hopped into an Uber and headed to our favorite spot apparently lmao. We were headed off to Fisherman’s Wharf to go eat In-n-Out because who was stopping us? Also, it was consecutively our third time at Fisherman’s Wharf since we had arrived three days ago, so it was a natural choice.
We ordered our food, grabbed a ton of Animal sauce, and grabbed another Uber to go back home. We ate our food at the edges of our beds, careful not to spill anything, and after a quick shower, I was ready to fall into a burger coma.
Looking back, my favorite parts seemed to be making friends with my now friend Max and seeing the actual employees of these tech companies that we see everyday actually in action. It was the coolest thing, and I cannot wait to see where I end up in the corporate world. Hopefully in the technology section, but I guess we will see!
Look for my post this Monday (maybe? honestly at this point, we'll see lol) all about the rest of our trip! We visited a lot more companies so you probably don’t want to miss it.