San Francisco: Mechanical Ghosts

04/08/25 • 44 min

Driverless cars, the howls of sea lions, a cable car ride, Coit Tower views, and a walk through Chinatown all feature in this light-hearted San Francisco episode of the story pilgrim .

In Episode 44, Darren explores the quirky contrasts of a city where machines glide silently through the streets and the past hums loudly from every corner. This is a step away from the usual philosophical deep dives — a more playful, curious journey through hills, seals, espresso-fuelled detours, and one retro diner straight out of a George Lucas film.

Come for the self-driving ghosts, stay for the dodgy jokes and unexpected joy.

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Driverless cars, the howls of sea lions, a cable car ride, Coit Tower views, and a walk through Chinatown all feature in this light-hearted San Francisco episode of the story pilgrim .

Come for the self-driving ghosts, stay for the dodgy jokes and unexpected joy.

Previous Episode

Paris: Graceful Expectations

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Paris. A city I always said I’d only visit with someone special. But here I am — alone, for work, not romance.

In this episode of the story pilgrim, I walk through the heart of Paris for the first time — past the Arc de Triomphe, the Champs Elysees, and the Eiffel Tower — while carrying something heavy: the sting of a recent audition that didn’t go the way I’d hoped.

What unfolds is part travel journal, part personal reckoning, part quiet conversation with failure. I talk about ambition, shame, trousers (yes, there’s a legal twist), and the unexpected grace that sometimes appears when everything seems to fall apart.

This is a walk through disappointment... and the small moments that help us keep going.

If you're walking through something of your own right now, this one’s for you.

🎧 Don’t forget to follow the story pilgrim on your favourite podcast app.

📺 You can also watch the full walk on YouTube: https://youtu.be/-i1p7bVM9TQ

Quote of the episode:
"In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer." — Albert Camus

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the story pilgrim – sharing sacred stories on the pilgrimage through life.

Next Episode

Camino: Fragile Triumph

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If you've ever wondered what it truly feels like to walk 500 miles on the Camino de Santiago — sick, lost, exhilarated, broken open — this raw, real journey captures the private battles, quiet triumphs, and emotional unravelling that only a long road can teach.

In 2017, I set out across Spain, camera phone in hand, recording the rough edges of a pilgrimage that changed me before I even realised it had.

This episode stitches together those self-shot moments: falling ill far from help, getting lost and learning to trust again, feeling the sting of frustration as the crowds grew thicker, and facing the strange, humbling weight of reaching the end.

You'll also hear the first telling of Hendrick’s story — the 84-year-old pilgrim walking because he said God told him to — and walk with me through the last lonely miles into Santiago.

This isn’t a neat story.

It’s a threadbare one — and maybe that's the truest kind.

Follow the story pilgrim wherever you listen, and join me for a journey that's about far more than the distance.

Some journeys never end — they just keep unfolding.