I was in the Golden Dragon this year! I've got some close friends who hooked me up with this awesome experience.

We serpentined through the streets of central San Francisco and up into Chinatown while the streets were filled with crowds and firecrackers screaming all along our march. Each member of the 288 foot dragon raised and lowered their section allowing the dragon to dance with life.

I was having a lot of fun extending my dragon section out over the cheering crowds reaching to touch it for good luck—sometimes almost whacking them with it! Attached to the pole of each dragon section is a cylindrical skeleton of aluminum tubes with a bulb lighting up the decorative fabric exterior. Ribs hang down between each dragon bearer to keep the round form. All of it is fairly light, but this small weight quickly turns into a good workout; They have plenty more dragon bearers than there are spots in the dragon so people can pass on their pole whenever a rest is needed. 

Afterward, we went to the cheery Mr. Long in Chinatown to have some awesome authentic Chinese food—much needed! Huddled in the small room, most of us were quiet as we chowed down hearing the booming firecrackers in the streets just outside.

After an exciting night and saying goodbye to friends, home was just a short walk outside of Chinatown. Thank you everyone for the experience; I hope to be back for next year!