I initially drafted this post on February 20, 2016. A year later, I'm finally putting the finishing touches on it to be published. For reference, this trip was back in October of 2015. Better late than never, right?
Oddfellows Cafe & Bar.
Meat market.
French onion soup.
Ploughman's lunch.
I have this thing for beautiful, floor-to-ceiling windowed restaurants. Thank you, Oddfellows.
Christina & ice cream make me happy!
Wild Honey & Balsamic Strawberry.
Fresh waffle cones in the making.
Nothing makes me happier than an ice cream shop with a French Bulldog as its little mascot. Fun fact: I purchased a bulldog pin for my camera, but lost the camera later. No big deal, just means I need to head back to Seattle and pick up another one. I'll be back for you, Molly Moon's.
Gum Wall before they power-washed it.
Presenting my contribution.
The Gum Wall was honestly one of the most disgusting things I have ever seen, with cigarette butts and business cards galore. I still had to contribute to the faint minty smell of the alleyway. Though it was powerwashed shortly after our visit, it didn't stop people from re-christening the wall.
Pike Place Market!
Fresh fruits.
Some of the sweetest mango I've ever had.
See some seafood s'here.
Pike Place Market: loud and crazy, like me. I loved getting lost in the hustle of the market, hopping from vendor to vendor and seeing what they had to offer. Christina bought the most delicious hazelnuts from PPM, and I have dreams about them sometimes.
OG Starbucks.
2 Earl Grey lattes, please.
Basiqué or not, for tourism sake, we had to come to the original Starbucks. A friend from my freshman year in college said the only Starbucks that makes a good Earl Grey Latte is the original location, so heeding his advice, that's exactly what we got. It did not disappoint.
Seattle Public Library.
CenturyLink field for Seattle Sounders game!
Toulouse Petit Kitchen & Lounge.
From the Space Needle.
This juxtaposition makes me insanely happy.
Chihuly Garden & Glass.
A lot of things have changed since this trip, specifically my outlook on holding onto grudges and resentment. It's easy to let trivial things shadow the bigger picture, but I'm learning to take a step back to really assess what's really important when it matters. In order to move forward, letting go is the hardest, which makes it that much more liberating when you muster up the courage to take that step. As a result, I'm happier, and I feel like a great burden has been brushed off my shoulders. What's the point when your energy is better spent on things other, more important things?
Holding onto anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.