Car repairs for journey home

We came to San Francisco because my son got into a rare pre-professional architecture intensive for middle schoolers. He spent the last week working 9-5 every day on everything you need to understand about designing a space, culminating in a presentation. He and the other students did a great job. My son was proud of his hard work. And I was proud of him, too.

I am not working right now so flying from Seattle to San Francisco was cost prohibitive. We drove the 900 miles last weekend, camping one night to break up the drive. We couchsurfed at a friend's home 25 mikes away and commuted in to town and back every day. I pretty much chilled at a coffee shop and worked on career opportunities all day every day.

I booked the campsite for our return journey this weekend.

After the students' final presentations Friday evening, we met some friends for a late dinner. While in the restaurant, some dream crushers decided to break into our car, shattering the passenger window and destroying the back hatch, ransack everything, stealing our tent and camping gear. They took everything really. Including medications, library books, sunglasses, camping gear, my computer, my kids kindle. For some bizarre reason I had left my computer in the car, which I never ever do since the 2012 computer theft and car break in when I was a student and the same thing happened. Almost never.

Shards of glass are everywhere. I cut my arms trying to clean it all up in the darkness of 11 pm. The police did not come to the site. They don't do that. Crime victims have to online and report the incident to get a report, which takes ten days after submission to be "approved."

Worst part is that they destroyed the architectural model my kid had worked so hard to develop, and stole his sketch book too. He is devastated. Sobbing in sadness. My heart breaks.

We were not hurt and I am grateful for that. But we are shaken, stuck now, trying to cobble together a plan, and I'm trying to figure out where to come up with $1000 deductible to get the $2000 car fixed and drive back home.

I feel many emotions right now including pride, sadness, guilt (for ignoring my intuition), gratitude (for being unharmed), anger, shock, etc.

Thank you to those who encouraged me to set up a gofundme page for this incident. It helps to be reminded that we are not alone, that people will rally around one another, and that we didn't deserve this. I am grateful for you.

For $1000 we can get the car repaired (I think) (insurance deductible). For $5000 we can fly or take the train home, and get a new car when we get home. For $0 we can become California beach bums (humor).