Seattle, Washington (Part 2)

     So where do I find myself at this moment? I landed in Seattle a few hours ago and sitting at the top of the hill here at Kerry Park, I couldn't help but to wonder, where will this trip take me? Where will I go and who will I meet? I have 8 days to travel, and this is just the beginning. I began with checking out the area, seeing what kind people I will find around town. I was staying at "The Green Tortoise Hostel" right next door to the Pike Place Market on the corner of Pike Street and First. There was so much happening here that I spent a whole day trying different foods, listening to different music, and just sat back and enjoyed the sights.

Some amazing swing dancing!

Traveling street performers!

Don't try this at home!

      The music scene was absolutely amazing. I couldn't help but to stop and admire the entertainers on every corner. Not only did the food stun me with its vibrant flavors and options but the friendliness of the mixture of locals and tourists was unlike any other. I must've tried 10 different "snacks." I had a moment of calmness (or a food coma) come over me as I sat and sipped my coffee at Cafe D' Arte. I waited for life to happen, and at that moment was rewarded by some pretty cool people I met around the city.

I met the girl in the photo that was on the Gum Wall!

A few games in the park with the locals!

     There were so many ways to enjoy the city but nothing was like sitting back and enjoying a nice read while the sun set. There were people fishing, playing soccer, and bird watching as I got lost while reading, "The Alchemist." I found myself about to enjoy the night until I came across a free show of Joan "El Duque" Soriano playing some amazing bachata on stage. This was definitely a way to end this trip!

Seattle, Washington (Part 1)

   

     So, what can I say, I am currently mid air, flying across to another corner of the U.S. and filled with emotions. I decided quite some time ago that before I began my travels overseas to see the world, I wanted to see what America was all about. This year alone, I have seen places I would have never otherwise thought, but every time I visit somewhere new, I feel as though I am doing what I need to. I have climbed to the top of the appalachian mountains, hiked through Arches National Park, and stood at the tallest tip in Los Angeles. Now, I am on my way to a place, where from what others have told me, is the most majestic places of them all, filled with green mountains and rushing waters, weather that would cloud the sun for days but still allow for a run or bike ride. It has much to live up to, many stories of enchanting landscapes as well as mood changing foods. What a strange place to never have visited, wouldn't you agree. Why would anyone stray away from such a description. I mean, if this were a blind date, I would be excited and nervous to meet such a person. Little did I know, this is what I would feel as the wheels lightly caressed the ground of the runway and as I can now officially say, "Hello Washington State, it's my pleasure to meet you."

     As soon as I landed, I had a sense of relief, a feeling rushed through me as I whispered, "I finally made it." Not just because my plane had landed but due to the fact that I am one step closer to calming my inner itch (see last post). As soon as I stepped out of the airport, I felt the welcome of the fresh Seattle air wash over me. This was like nothing back home, even when I was riding in my rental car I had the urge to stick my head out the window with my tongue out. Lets just say, I left the flat sandy swamplands for a city that has so many curves you would thing it loved to squat. This was met by green for as far as the eye can see, earning its name, "The Emerald City." My first state of business was to get some grub, so I raced down to the first place I can think of, Pike Place Market, and like every other tourist in these foreign land, I wanted a fresh coffee to wake me up.

     So I finally parked my car in garage a few blocks from the market, and it caught me off guard to be standing on a road that sat at a 30 degree angle. Just walking down it made me feel as though I would fall forward. Although it was a little hike I finally made it. With the hustle of the market you can hear the faint hymns of street performers and the smell of seafood whether cooked or raw. This was the center of big commerce, and I was ready to begin my duty of trying it all! After looking around for an hour or so, I grabbed some coffee at "Local Color" and grabbed a little something at "Three Girls Bakery" followed by a detour at a little park around the corner where you can see the Seattle Ferris Wheel and the pier. As I sat there looking at the crowds of people spending cash, having laughs, and soaking the sun, I figured I'd check out the best place to get a view of the city. This is when I found out about a place called Kerry Park from some locals. So I slowly made my way back to the car and began my short trek.

      As I came to the end of the steep roads I notice myself pulling up to a small strip of grass. Parking a block before getting there, I wondered how this can be one of the best views in Seattle. It was only until I walked pass a sculpture they have in the middle that I was able to gaze at the magnificence of Seattle. It was like something I have never seen before, and it was all mine to enjoy. I sat there for what seemed like hours just gazing and thinking of what was yet to come of my trip. I even befriended some travelers from Chicago who I only remember by their nicknames, "Lollipop and Hariette the Spy" (inside jokes). It was amazing to sit there, like I was at the end of the world looking back, and knowing that even though I came from the opposite corner, there is more to see over the horizon.

     I realized it was time for me to go, and finally check in to my hostel, and boy did I have a great time!

to be continued...

The Itch...

          So, as I sit here in the airport, practically falling asleep in my chair like an exhausted toddler, I once again feel the itch within me for adventure. The funny thing is, it took up until now to feel it again. See, this all started about 2 months ago, when I found myself at my (at that time 3 month in) "new" job (since ending the 2 month road trip across the U.S.), when I was sitting attentively writing a "very important" e-mail to a peer of mine. Alone in the back room, I leaned back to give my eyes a rest, and as I looked up at the ceiling, I noticed a lizard sitting very still. Yea, I know, random, but there was literally a lizard on the ceiling. I was fixated on how it just stayed completely still as if attempting to blend in to the blandness of the egg shell shade of white panels. For minutes, I just sat there, staring at it, and I thought, I have never seen a lizard on the ceiling before, let alone at work. As I chuckled and bent my neck back to look at my screen, the 3 paragraph explanation that I had prepared was suddenly swept away by an unexpected "Force Close" by the magnificent machine we call a PC.

          At this point, any of us would be distraught to have this happen, but I just sighed at the unfortunate dilemma and went right back at admiring the lizard. It was at this exact point that I felt the "itch". It crept upon me slowly right between my eyes, as if to tell me to take off the figurative glasses I had to put on to live in the "real world." Once off, I felt I didn't understand how I was getting sucked in again.  Into the idea that the seat that I am currently imprinting is my true calling. Although I have been working hard and don't attempt to be mediocre, this was not what my life needs me to do. Like the lizard, I was attempting to blend into something that didn't make sense for me, a bland, egg shelled background. I bet it didn't think it would be stranded on ceiling of some office building surrounded by gigantic monsters doing crazy dances and speaking noises, noises that even if it understood english, would still sound odd to him (thanks to accents and mostly nonsense).

         All this going through my mind, I felt the itch moving towards my chest, at which point I felt a sense of hollowness come upon me. Why am I settling once again? What is it that my heart really wants from me? If I look back at my life and I found out that tomorrow was the end, what would I really have to show for it? What would I have failed at? What would I have learned? We all think of it at one point or another, some more than others, and some put it off because of other things that cloud their hungry minds, but for me, it was an all too eerie feeling. You see, like you, my readers, my friends and family don't quite understand my hunger for experience. I have always thrown myself to the wolves to see if I'd survive, or jumped in the deep end to see if I'd float, or driven on E to see how far I'd get (ok so I made up the last one but you get my point), so why aren't I doing that with my life now?

          With that feeling, I took a look around and saw my life as if it was a still painting, and just like those pieces of art, there are always things the jump out can create deeper though. For example, I have 3 friends of mine who are avid travelers, and without ever expressing my view they come to speak to me about their inner struggle with life and how we are formed to think the way we do. How life isn't all about staying put and feeling comfortable. This is scary thought even for me and as I press my finger into every button I feel the cold chill come down my spine thinking that I can leave it all behind someday. Then I thought about a commitment that I made to myself at the beginning of the year, about seeing much of the world before I turn 30, and what huge leaps I have made thus far. How, before I go overseas, I wanted to see North America for what it was. This is where the itch went to the top of my head and I came up with the brightest idea in quite some time and why, 2 months later, I am sitting in this airport, partially drooling as I type this. Let me finish that commitment to myself, let me see what it is again to see beauty in the unknown rather than fear, let me know that if I can dream it, it can happen. So here I am, my zone was just called to board, as if asking me one last time if I really want to do this, and I just gave them my boarding pass. Hello again, Kenneth, lets see where your heart takes us again...