I used to travel all the time. At first by necessity due to my parents’ military life, and then by choice. I could argue that it was due to a new school or a new job opportunity, but in all honesty, I just love traveling. I haven’t been able to do nearly as much of it as I’d like lately, mostly because its a well-known secret in “the biz” that the quickest way to book a job is to book a ticket. As in, I’d make plans to head up to San Francisco for the week and get two amazing auditions during those same days.
However, this time I was determined. I’d never been to Seattle and I’d always wanted to go. I still don’t own a laptop and was trying out a friend’s iPad to see if that would be an acceptable substitute for working while I was out of town.
Totally wasn’t. I need a real keyboard, dammit.
So instead, I wrote (HAND-WROTE, PEOPLE! THERE WAS A WRITING UTENSIL INVOLVED!) out these journal entries and have since transcribed them for posterity. So you know, “Stinson” is a good friend of mine who used to live in Seattle and still goes up to visit quite often.
1/14/2011 (ok, I totally wrote 1/14/10, but present-tense me is SMARTER THAN THAT)
I landed around 3pm, jumped on the Light Link rail from SeaTac. Walked from University Station to Green Tortoise hostel and stayed just long enough to drop stuff off, lock myself out of my room, banter with Tristan the front desk guy and lose my phone for about 10 minutes. Go me.
Walked away to Yelp-recommended Caffe Migliore. Best damn soy white mocha EVER. Also, The Sandlot was playing, so really, how can you lose? (The only two other people in the place were these middle-aged guys who kept commenting how they had never seen the movie. WHAT?!)
No people watching to be had however, so then walked to Bauhaus coffee shop (recc’d by Stinson, who I naturally trust in these matters)
After 1/2 hour of frustratedly trying to type on Clare’s iPad, I came to the conclusion that I will never buy an iPad.
Tried to hit Machiavelli next door, another Stinson recommendation, but apparently the rest of Seattle shares his high esteem of the place. PACKED!! Seemed fun tho, will have to try again.
Ended up sating my ridiculously growling belly at McCormick & Schmicks on 1st Ave (I used to work at two different M&S’s around Los Angeles, so going there for dinner makes me feel equal parts comfortable and uneasy). Wonder if this is the “original” M&S, although I don’t believe so (Right region, wrong state. First M&S apparently is in Portland, OR. Sure my old managers would be happy to know how much of the ‘historical’ training I retained from working there). Feeling cold coming on in full force so I nobly only had half of my delicious Manhattan (sadface), but devoured the portobello bruschetta and the ahi tartare.
Must find good sushi place nearby. Have feeling sake will be tolerated by ailing body much more than bourbon.
FYI, am reading ‘The Lost City of Z’, a tale of an early 20th century explorer looking for El Dorado (well, he was actually searching for evidence that South America was home to much more civilized societies than history has led us to believe, but ‘El Dorado’ is catchier), so rest assured that my speech is not usually this proper and archaic, but I am nothing if not easily influenced.
Stupid cold. It’s only 9pm and I feel like I’m going to collapse. Breakfast (free! :) ) is from 6-930am, and I must be on top of that!!
1/15/10 (Dammit! Yet again! Pay attention, past-tense me!)
Lesson learned from my first experience at a hostel: Not only should you say “Absolutely!” when the cute front desk guy offers to move you to an all-girl room, but you should definitely NOT take the bunk nearest to the door (Also known as: “What I should’ve remembered from Ender’s Game”).
Sadly, the comings and goings meant I was awake around 6:30am, no matter how much my eyes resisted. It was the worsening cold that finally got me up, as all I wanted to do was blow my running fawcet faucet of a nose (misspelling of ‘faucet’ due to continued incessant reading of “Lost City of Z” which focuses on Percy Fawcett and not, in fact, on a failing of my formal education. In theory.)
Breakfast (free!) meant pineapple, orange wedges, banana, toast with PB&J and some scrambled egg whites. Holy crap, this is awesome.
Properly fortified, I headed out to Walgreens so I could scarf down far more than the recommended dosage of cold medicine, then to Zanadu comics to pick up yet another Neil Gaiman Sandman book and Fables: Witches which on my way to the Experience Music Project and the SciFi Museum (complete with BSG exhibit!)
Two especially good moments: Being recognized by Guild fans at the BSG exhibit (because really, where ELSE am I likely to be recognized?) and overhearing a little girl at the SciFi Museum:
“Mommy, what’s that?”
“A Storm Trooper, sweetie.”
Good Mom.
The line for the Harry Potter exhibit was crazy (Damn kids. How dare they.) and was sold out for the rest of the day anyway. Must try another time.
Additional discoveries: I suck at playing guitar. But may be able to handle drums. Thanks EMP Sound Lab!
Spent a good amount of time at Cherry Hill Coffee (I later found out this was NOT an independent coffee shop, but rather a small chain around Seattle. Regardless, my ideal of not stepping FOOT inside a Starbucks while in Seattle was upheld). Soy white mocha was good, but not quite up to par with yesterday’s from Caffe Mig. Finally DID make it to Machiavelli Restaurant right at opening time, which was yummy indeed. Tuna carpaccio was freakin delicious, although I mourn not having any wine with dinner. Stupid cold is such that my entire body sadly recoiled at the idea of alcohol.
Oh! Oh oh! Someone asked me for directions, and I TOTALLY GAVE THEM! Suck it, Seattlites, I got your city DOWN.
There is a mysterious door across from my cushy chair in Green Tortoise that people keep disappearing into. I thought originally it was part of the kitchen, but nay. Going through the scary gateway revealed “the lounge”, which I think is hostel-ese for “place to smoke while holding a guitar.” Lungs immediately protested and I plunked back down into aforementioned cushy chair, all the wiser for my adventure.
Things to remember for tomorrow/future:
- Lucky/Happy on 1st. Clothing store that looked AWESOME. Passed it on the way back to G.T. and was too set on my homing beacon to stop and peruse (I did end up going back to the clothing store and was sorely disappointed. I don’t care if a white tank top was spun from Anansi’s buttsilk, I’m not paying $285 for it).
- Underground Tour – sounds interesting (TOTALLY. WAS.).
- Pike’s Market – The Tourist Thing To Do, apparently, and it’s only a block away, so I really have no excuse (Never did end up going. I’m not sad.)
- Linda’s Tavern – Recc by both Stinson and Logan. Thinking it sounds perfect for brunch tomorrow assuming the rest of the vagabonds let me sleep in. Also hoping body won’t reject a Bloody Mary out of hand because that sounds REALLY. GOOD.
Wondering if I should be more social with the other hostel-ees. Hostilites? Hostel peeps?
Deciding against it for now. Comics beckon.
So basically, I loved Seattle and will absolutely go back. Unfortunately I couldn’t make it to Emerald Con this year due to scheduling conflicts, but PAX is almost a certainty. Cheers!
