Golden Gate

I don't like bridges. I've never liked bridges, but I've always tolerated their existence and understood that I would need to occasionally cross a bridge to get to where I needed to go. I don't have a fear of heights, but I do have a fear of getting in a car accident on a bridge and my car going off the side of the bridge into the briny deep. It's probably somewhat irrational, but whatever. It's worse when I'm not driving because someone else is in charge of getting us across the bridge; being a kid in places where there were lots of bridges was super fun.  Suspension bridges, like the Golden Gate Bridge, are my least favorite type of bridges. They seem insane as a thing that exists in the world. 

Despite my disliking bridges, I think they're amazing. The science behind the architecture of bridges is fascinating and so many bridges are beautifully designed. I may not love driving on the Golden Gate Bridge, but man is it stunning. Clear days, foggy days, I'll take them all. I remember the first time I drove across it; I had a minor panic attack when I first got on the bridge, but calmed down by the time I got across. By calmed down, I mean I made it across and no accidents occurred. My hands hurt from gripping the steering wheel tightly, but I made it. I didn't appreciate what I had just done, but I did it. When I moved to the Bay Area a few years later, I rarely used the Golden Gate Bridge. I used the Bay Bridge to come into the city, or took BART if I didn't want to drive. 

I decided on my first New Year's Day in the area I was going to walk on the Golden Gate Bridge. Not too far, but enough to say I did it. I took one of those hop on, hop off bus tours of the city rather than drive myself. I got to see a lot more of the touristy places than I probably wold have seen on my own, and we stopped for a break at the bridge. I joined my fellow tour participants and walked on the bridge. It was windy and cold, but a beautiful day to do something terrifying. And I did it. I walked on the bridge, took some pictures, and promptly returned to the safety of not being on the bridge. Please enjoy my amazing hair in this photo:

Thanks to the Golden Gate Bridge, I never have to walk across a suspension bridge for fun ever again. 

Details:
Stitches: back, stem, straight stitches, French knot
Thread palette: SS 205, 601 (2 strands), SS 501 (6 strands), DMC 310 (1, 2 strands)