Travel Chronicles: Seattle (June 12-16, 2011)
I'm having a hard time believing that the first part of my trip is already done!
I've been in downtown Seattle since Sunday and am heading out of town for the HP Slash Con. I think I'm emotionally doing a lot better, in that I've been able to figure out a lot of the things that had been making me unhappy and that I'd been suppressing. But I also still feel a bit emotionally numb, which is a bit weird for me.
J and I have also been talking constantly. We may possibly reconcile. He misses me. I miss him. After hours of conversation via skype I believe him when he says how things will change (both for me and for him, including the substantive steps he's taking to change). But, I still feel incredibly enmeshed and still think about my day in terms of him, even though I'm on the other side of the continent. I pretzeled myself around him and I can't do that anymore. But I feel adrift without having him to define me.
Crap, this was supposed to be about my adventures, not about my fucked up brain.
Ok, let's back up a little bit.
Sunday, June 12 - I didn't go to sleep from Saturday to Sunday because I was being slow about packing, and also my cab was set to pick me up at 4am for a 6am flight. So, around 2am I finally got around to printing my boarding pass, only to discover that my flight had been cancelled.
Which, I don't know if this has ever happened to you, but the only time I ever had a change in flight status was when there were epic storms and I was stranded in the airport for over 8 hours. But this is the new and empowered new me, who handles stress and uncertainty with poise and grace. So, I called the airline and yelled at the first person who answered *blush* It turns out I was put on a different flight that would be leaving 20 minutes after I was originally to leave. I'm not sure how much of a difference it made overall, except that I got to see the Philadelphia airport instead of the Charlotte one.
Saying good-bye was hard. J and I have been civil and even loving for the past 2 weeks since the breakup (with expected flashes of anger and heartbreak). And by loving I mean averaging 2-4 times a day *blushes* which has been fun but ridiculous and I think I finally understand hatesex
Once I got to customs things were looking up, at least until I spoke to the customs agent who was wondering why I was travelling alone on vacation to Seattle. It was a thoroughly unpleasant exchange but eventually I told him I impulsively was visiting a place I'd never been to because I'd been dumped. That didn't necessarily garner any sympathy, but he let me go.
Eventually, my luggage and I made our way through security and I was on my way to passing out on the 2 planes and the waiting areas. Oh! My luggage! I bought the most awesome purple suitcase! I'll post pics of it with the rest later in a separate post, but it seriously makes me so happy ^_^
On the plane, I sat next to a very attractive gentleman about 15 years older than me. We chatted about the kind of trivial things strangers talk about. Eventually I told him about my heartbroken state, and he invited me to a party that night! He's a sales rep for Loreal and was in town for a few days (it certainly explained his perfect hair ;p). I have to admit it was tempting to take him up on his offer. If nothing else, it was really nice to be desired.
Seattle is a very cool city - if you ever visit, I recommend The Moore Hotel. It's incredibly basic, but the bed and bathroom were clean, and there's free wifi. I don't really need much more than that, especially given the price. It's also within walking distance of the waterfront.
That first night I had dinner at a fantastic Vietnamese place, and then promptly passed out around 7:30pm Seattle time.
Monday, June 13 - Mostly, I spent the day walking around the waterfront. First I had a fantastic coffee and flaky pastry at Pike Market Place. I spent a few hours exploring the different buildings and stalls, where you can buy fresh produce, fish, crafts, hats (hats!), etc. I bought some postcards, some truffle-flavoured salt (which omg I can't wait until I get back home to be able to try it on something grilled), and a fridge magnet. I've never been big on souvenir's, but I love to pick-up fridge magnets where ever I go.
For lunch, I grabbed some local cheese, fresh crusty bread, a small basket of cherry tomatoes and a brownie, then after lunch headed out to walk along the water. It was very cool to see mountains in the distance - normally when I think of ocean, I think of a vast expanse of nothingness.
I also did a bit of shopping, having discovered an awesome burlesque-ish/50-ish style dress shop. When I was packing, I ended up leaving about 2 skirts and 5 tops behind, so I figured I could add 1 dress at the very least to my collection of stuff to wear ;)
Tuesday, June 14 - Today was the day I got to meet up with elfflame! She was just as lovely in person as online and I was thrilled to spend the day with one of my oldest lj friends ^_^
She took me on the bus to the Seattle Space Needle (and I'm so glad she was on the bus with me, because I was the total stupid, gaping tourist at the differences in transit >.<). The elevator up the Space Needle is ridiculously fast, even if it isn't as high up as Toronto's CN Tower ;p (But we did bond over scenes from Forever Night!)
I have a teeny fear of heights, and get occasional vertigo, depending on how my ears are doing that day (from recurring ear infections blech), but I love the view of being so high up and seeing across the city to take it all in. I find until I'm up that high, I can't really orient myself in a new city, which is a bit weird since I know that I can't exactly pick out any details or even that I'll see the whole city from the ground level. Maybe it's a feeling free thing.
We then walked around some more, and passed by the very cool Frank Gehry music museum (he's one of few architects that I actually recognize by name). I was very amused to find out that certain things from the Simpson's were inspired by Seattle, including Krusty the Clown and the Monorail. And yes, when we walked past the monorail, I couldn't help but sing the Monorail song, complete with jazzhands ^_^
It was also just very cool hanging out with someone who has the same interests and context in life. Even though this was the first time that elfflame and I met IRL, we were able to get past the nervous stage very quickly, and switch from talking about tv (Castle!!!) and books, to personal things going on in our lives, and then back again. I have good friends back home, but the reason I always come back to lj (and love going to cons) is that there is a particular connection that I've never really found anywhere else.
Overall, it was a fantastic day!
Wednesday, June 15 - Today was more walking around, even though I got a bit of a later start than I expected. I also ended up sitting in a Starbucks for about 2 hours to get some work done on one of the projects I'd transitioned to someone else in my absence. It was surprisingly easy to concentrate, especially given my struggles last few months with my inability to focus on anything. I can definitely see the appeal of working remotely ^_^
I went to check out the Seattle Art Museum and discovered a fantastic new artist! Her name is Cris Brodahl, and she's part surrealist, yet her figures are real and very sensual. I'm definitely going to try to remember to look for more exhibits with her work. I can't find my favourite piece of the collection, but you can find samples of here work here (Unfortunately the images don't convey the physicality of her work).
I also took a tour of Seattle's underground which was fascinating and I'm so glad I went on it. I learned all about Seattle's history of logging, it's role in the gold rush, the invention of flush toilets and city sewage, the Seattle fire in 1889 that destroyed over 30 city blocks, preservation of victorian buildings in the 1960s, and the role of Seattle's "seamstresses" in building the city in the late 1800s/early 1900s (men would pay $10 to get their "pants hemmed"). I highly recommend it!
So that's what's been happening so far. I've had way too much coffee so far, which has been very tasty, and Seattle is deservedly known for it's coffee. I've also enjoyed walking around (all these hills have been great for my legs and abs). And while I haven't totally figured out who I am yet, it's slowly starting (who knew that I actually prefer scrambled eggs to any other kind, so why have I been ordering over-easy all this time).
Now, that this is done, I'm off to catch a cab and make my way to the HP Slash con. If you're there and want to reach me, easiest way is via email/lj's msg system.
As an aside, omg, how did I manage to live without an iPhone so far?????
<33333
I've been in downtown Seattle since Sunday and am heading out of town for the HP Slash Con. I think I'm emotionally doing a lot better, in that I've been able to figure out a lot of the things that had been making me unhappy and that I'd been suppressing. But I also still feel a bit emotionally numb, which is a bit weird for me.
J and I have also been talking constantly. We may possibly reconcile. He misses me. I miss him. After hours of conversation via skype I believe him when he says how things will change (both for me and for him, including the substantive steps he's taking to change). But, I still feel incredibly enmeshed and still think about my day in terms of him, even though I'm on the other side of the continent. I pretzeled myself around him and I can't do that anymore. But I feel adrift without having him to define me.
Crap, this was supposed to be about my adventures, not about my fucked up brain.
Ok, let's back up a little bit.
Sunday, June 12 - I didn't go to sleep from Saturday to Sunday because I was being slow about packing, and also my cab was set to pick me up at 4am for a 6am flight. So, around 2am I finally got around to printing my boarding pass, only to discover that my flight had been cancelled.
Which, I don't know if this has ever happened to you, but the only time I ever had a change in flight status was when there were epic storms and I was stranded in the airport for over 8 hours. But this is the new and empowered new me, who handles stress and uncertainty with poise and grace. So, I called the airline and yelled at the first person who answered *blush* It turns out I was put on a different flight that would be leaving 20 minutes after I was originally to leave. I'm not sure how much of a difference it made overall, except that I got to see the Philadelphia airport instead of the Charlotte one.
Saying good-bye was hard. J and I have been civil and even loving for the past 2 weeks since the breakup (with expected flashes of anger and heartbreak). And by loving I mean averaging 2-4 times a day *blushes* which has been fun but ridiculous and I think I finally understand hatesex
Once I got to customs things were looking up, at least until I spoke to the customs agent who was wondering why I was travelling alone on vacation to Seattle. It was a thoroughly unpleasant exchange but eventually I told him I impulsively was visiting a place I'd never been to because I'd been dumped. That didn't necessarily garner any sympathy, but he let me go.
Eventually, my luggage and I made our way through security and I was on my way to passing out on the 2 planes and the waiting areas. Oh! My luggage! I bought the most awesome purple suitcase! I'll post pics of it with the rest later in a separate post, but it seriously makes me so happy ^_^
On the plane, I sat next to a very attractive gentleman about 15 years older than me. We chatted about the kind of trivial things strangers talk about. Eventually I told him about my heartbroken state, and he invited me to a party that night! He's a sales rep for Loreal and was in town for a few days (it certainly explained his perfect hair ;p). I have to admit it was tempting to take him up on his offer. If nothing else, it was really nice to be desired.
Seattle is a very cool city - if you ever visit, I recommend The Moore Hotel. It's incredibly basic, but the bed and bathroom were clean, and there's free wifi. I don't really need much more than that, especially given the price. It's also within walking distance of the waterfront.
That first night I had dinner at a fantastic Vietnamese place, and then promptly passed out around 7:30pm Seattle time.
Monday, June 13 - Mostly, I spent the day walking around the waterfront. First I had a fantastic coffee and flaky pastry at Pike Market Place. I spent a few hours exploring the different buildings and stalls, where you can buy fresh produce, fish, crafts, hats (hats!), etc. I bought some postcards, some truffle-flavoured salt (which omg I can't wait until I get back home to be able to try it on something grilled), and a fridge magnet. I've never been big on souvenir's, but I love to pick-up fridge magnets where ever I go.
For lunch, I grabbed some local cheese, fresh crusty bread, a small basket of cherry tomatoes and a brownie, then after lunch headed out to walk along the water. It was very cool to see mountains in the distance - normally when I think of ocean, I think of a vast expanse of nothingness.
I also did a bit of shopping, having discovered an awesome burlesque-ish/50-ish style dress shop. When I was packing, I ended up leaving about 2 skirts and 5 tops behind, so I figured I could add 1 dress at the very least to my collection of stuff to wear ;)
Tuesday, June 14 - Today was the day I got to meet up with elfflame! She was just as lovely in person as online and I was thrilled to spend the day with one of my oldest lj friends ^_^
She took me on the bus to the Seattle Space Needle (and I'm so glad she was on the bus with me, because I was the total stupid, gaping tourist at the differences in transit >.<). The elevator up the Space Needle is ridiculously fast, even if it isn't as high up as Toronto's CN Tower ;p (But we did bond over scenes from Forever Night!)
I have a teeny fear of heights, and get occasional vertigo, depending on how my ears are doing that day (from recurring ear infections blech), but I love the view of being so high up and seeing across the city to take it all in. I find until I'm up that high, I can't really orient myself in a new city, which is a bit weird since I know that I can't exactly pick out any details or even that I'll see the whole city from the ground level. Maybe it's a feeling free thing.
We then walked around some more, and passed by the very cool Frank Gehry music museum (he's one of few architects that I actually recognize by name). I was very amused to find out that certain things from the Simpson's were inspired by Seattle, including Krusty the Clown and the Monorail. And yes, when we walked past the monorail, I couldn't help but sing the Monorail song, complete with jazzhands ^_^
It was also just very cool hanging out with someone who has the same interests and context in life. Even though this was the first time that elfflame and I met IRL, we were able to get past the nervous stage very quickly, and switch from talking about tv (Castle!!!) and books, to personal things going on in our lives, and then back again. I have good friends back home, but the reason I always come back to lj (and love going to cons) is that there is a particular connection that I've never really found anywhere else.
Overall, it was a fantastic day!
Wednesday, June 15 - Today was more walking around, even though I got a bit of a later start than I expected. I also ended up sitting in a Starbucks for about 2 hours to get some work done on one of the projects I'd transitioned to someone else in my absence. It was surprisingly easy to concentrate, especially given my struggles last few months with my inability to focus on anything. I can definitely see the appeal of working remotely ^_^
I went to check out the Seattle Art Museum and discovered a fantastic new artist! Her name is Cris Brodahl, and she's part surrealist, yet her figures are real and very sensual. I'm definitely going to try to remember to look for more exhibits with her work. I can't find my favourite piece of the collection, but you can find samples of here work here (Unfortunately the images don't convey the physicality of her work).
I also took a tour of Seattle's underground which was fascinating and I'm so glad I went on it. I learned all about Seattle's history of logging, it's role in the gold rush, the invention of flush toilets and city sewage, the Seattle fire in 1889 that destroyed over 30 city blocks, preservation of victorian buildings in the 1960s, and the role of Seattle's "seamstresses" in building the city in the late 1800s/early 1900s (men would pay $10 to get their "pants hemmed"). I highly recommend it!
So that's what's been happening so far. I've had way too much coffee so far, which has been very tasty, and Seattle is deservedly known for it's coffee. I've also enjoyed walking around (all these hills have been great for my legs and abs). And while I haven't totally figured out who I am yet, it's slowly starting (who knew that I actually prefer scrambled eggs to any other kind, so why have I been ordering over-easy all this time).
Now, that this is done, I'm off to catch a cab and make my way to the HP Slash con. If you're there and want to reach me, easiest way is via email/lj's msg system.
As an aside, omg, how did I manage to live without an iPhone so far?????
<33333