Speechless in Seattle.

I had spent the past 4 days in Seattle and it was by far, the best time I had spent in this Emerald City than any other day trips I've made in years past. I've always had a certain affinity with the Pacific Northwest and Seattle embodies everything I love with its pristine coastlines along the Pacific, the island retreat of Mercer Island, the relaxed ambience of Alki Beach with its quintessential Fish & Chips at Spud's, and a variety of cuisine from around the world to excite my taste buds.










I drove down to Seattle to meet with Jona, a friend from Arizona who was helping his friend Matt move back to Seattle. Our CS host, Andrea, welcomed Jona and I to her home with open arms and was a joy to be with. The four of us spent a great time together catching some entertainment at the Buskers Festival at Pike Place Market, having the "wurst" time of our life at the Wallingford Wurst Festival, soaking up the sun along Alki Beach, and enjoying a savoury Thai dish at Thai Tom while watching the kochmeister in front of us prepare our meals like clock work. We paid a visit to an Irish pub called Kells down at the Pike to grab something to eat and say hello to Ann, Andrea's flatmate, since we rarely saw her at home (as she was working double shifts). What an affable character she was.



We made a pizza run one night to Milano Pizza & Pasta and was served by a handsome gentleman with an unique tone of voice commonly heard on television adverts, movie trailer narration, and on-hold voice prompts. Andrea, Jona, and I were floored, so much so that we went back a few nights later just to be served by him again. Every time I hear "Your call is in priority sequence. Please continue to hold and a customer service representative will be with you shortly. Thank you." I'll think of him now. Embarrassingly, after a few drinks, I had told this guy how much I loved his voice, then excused myself out the door.



Taking the Washington State Ferry to Bainbridge Island was a pleasure. Seeing the Seattle skyline diminishing as we sailed further away was a splendiferous sight to behold. Approaching Bainbridge Island was majestic, as well as the drive along the long and windy road to Poulsbo. Chillaxing at an adorable little bubble tea shop by the marina, Jona and I entertained our thoughts about owning a cute little outfit like this place too. Work is fun here and chatting it up with the regulars while serving up your own imaginative bubble tea creations seem like a world away from the usual daily grind. To take a passage from MGMT's song titled Time to Pretend: "What else can we do? Get jobs in offices and wake up for the morning commute?" This Norwegian village of Poulsbo enchanted me.



As a perfect finish to my wonderful Seattle experience, the four of us gathered at a neighbourhood bar called Prost! for some decadent Bier aus Deutschland. We had a wonderfully gregarious server there who laughed along with us and made us feel like this was OUR bar. She was an absolute delight!

And delightful would be this year's biggest understatement if I was to describe my time in Seattle. Driving back up the I-5 on my way home to Canada, the fresh new memories were dancing in my head and I was left speechless.

On the Washington State Ferry.

Beer Fizz.

Thai Tom Kochmeister @ Work.