Being Magellan

The last few weeks have been filled with exploration, which I simply define as experiencing something new. This could be as grand as traversing a new country or as easy as trying a hole-in-the-wall restaurant around the corner. Whatever it is, the discovery just has to be a first.

Having out of town friends visit is always a good reason for exploring. A couple weeks ago my fellow adventure seeking roommate, Chelsey, and her friend Jenny invited me to join their ice cave journey. Turns out, there is a place called Big Four Ice Caves just over an hour outside Seattle. Having been to Alaska and seen the mammothness of glaciers, I'm going to take the liberty of calling these so called "caves", mini glaciers with tunnels. In typical Seattle fashion it rained for 90% of our trip, but the discovery was so worth a few water drops. Here are a few postcards:

Some perspective... I'm standing at the mouth of
the middle cave entry (see picture above)

 

 

Another recent discovery is a new coffee shop in the heart of Pikes Place Market called Storyville Coffee. They've been around for a few years on Bainbride Island focusing on roasting delicious coffee beans, and decided to share the wealth of coffee goodness with the general public by opening a retail location. For anyone fortunate enough to have learned of their coolness in September, Storyville treated to complimentary pastries and coffee as a soft opening, word of mouth marketing strategy. It totally worked on me. Great location, awesome logo, welcoming ambiance, rich coffee, and I'd argue the best cinnamon roll I've ever had (and I've eaten my fair share of cinnamon rolls), I'd recommend visitors and locals alike check out Storyville for your next cup of java.

 

Costa Rica

   Two Christmases ago my sisters and I were graciously given frequent flier miles from our mom for a sister’s trip.  With the combination of not being able to agree on a location and Shelly getting married that summer, our trip ended up happening this year instead of last.  Better late than never!  After much research, we finally settled on Costa Rica.  About a week after that decision Lindsay informed us that she would be studying abroad in Costa Rica during the next semester (meaning, right now).  Somewhat defeating the point of traveling to a new place together, but clearly a God-ordained, open door to a place we already had travel plans, so we ran with it.

   I love international travel for numerous reasons, one of which is experiencing different cultures.  The U.S. is an amazing country and yet such a bubble.  As uncomfortable as feeling out of place can be, having that bubble popped every once in a while gives valuable perspective.  To that end, we opted to stay on a coffee plantation instead of tourist town hotel.  A local family owns the plantation and rents out the guest house to travelers.  It was perfect - complete with a full kitchen, living room, and two bedrooms for a super reasonable price.  The son of the family picked Shelly & I up at the airport (waiting patiently during the hour it took us to get through customs!), which turned out to be a huge blessing because as we quickly learned, there are no street names in CR.  So if you don’t know where you’re going, you may not get there.  The family was wonderfully generous, providing the three of us a traditional breakfast the next morning, and were significantly better than a travel book when trying to figure out the bus system.  They even showed us how to harvest coffee!

   Worth mentioning, but not elaboration are these other observations unique to CR culture:
• Bus - drives with the door open, uses foam pockets for sorting coins from riders (meaning all manual collection)
• Roads – mostly neighborhoods, not many main or big roads
• No law to wear seat belt in backseat
• Huge road gutters, kind of like mini moats
• Weather -  blue skies & hot in morning,  cloudy/ muggy/ rainy in afternoon
• Because of the weather, people wake up early
• Tons of shoe stores
• Lots of fried food
• Road biking is super popular
• All taxis are red – and only taxis are red

   We had three full days together with significant portions of that time spent on buses getting to and from various Costa Rican highlights.  If you’re looking for a quick summary of the trip it can be summed up in three words: we were together.  If you’re looking for a little more, here’s the run down:
Once Shelly and I dropped off our stuff and waited for the monsoon like rain, vibrate-your-insides thunder, and lightening that made the sky look like a continuous flow of power surges to pass, we set off to find Lindsay.  Our hour and a half journey took us to the Whitworth Costa Rica campus nestled atop an over-sized hill outside Heredia (the city).  We were able to meet some of her friends, see where they “study”, and enjoy the fact campus feels like home away from home before heading back down to her host-dad’s Soda (a.k.a. local café) for dinner.

   Our first full day we went to La Playa de Puntarenas (the beach).  Not the most glamorous or beautiful of the many beaches, but it was far less crowded and the closest to Heredia with water just as warm as all the rest.  On our way home we went through San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica.  As expected, the city was packed with people and traffic.  We walked the main tourist strip, went into quite a few shoe stores on a mission to find TOMS (but failed), and treated ourselves to caramel relleno churros as a consolation.

   Day two Lindsay’s host parents offered to be our tour guides to the Irazu Volcano.  Not only did this mean no bus was involved in the journey, but it was also an opportunity to get to know the family who adopted Lindsay for the semester.  #Win.  Since they don’t speak English and I don’t speak Spanish, direct communication between us was sparse.  However that “us” doesn’t include Shelly or Lindsay as they are both more than capable Spanish conversationalists and lucky for me, able translators.  After a couple hours we finally made it to the top of the volcano where we were greeted with low clouds, cold wind gusts, and horizontal rain.  Definitely not ideal conditions, which gave us no choice but to bundle and brave the elements.  We walked the rim, saw the beautiful teal lagoon that is the volcano mouth, took some pictures and bought post cards before heading back down.  A few “detours” and some traffic later, we made it back to San Rafel (where they live).  William and Zayra generously invited us to stay for dinner where we were treated to a traditional Costa Rican meal called Patacones.  It’s plantains cut into fifths, peeled, fried, smooshed, fried again, then topped with black bean purée and a homemade pico de gallo type salsa. Buen provecho (a.k.a. SO good)!  Despite feeling somewhat out of the loop through out the day, simply observing William and Zayra was enough to reveal their genuinely kind hearts.  What a blessing to know my sister is in good hands, well fed and more importantly well loved while she’s away.

   Day 3 we set out for the adrenaline rush of zip lining from tree to tree through a cloud forest.  Upon arrival we learned that the tourist attraction actually originates from efficiency minded scientists who were studying plant life in the top of Costa Rican trees back in the 70’s and decided it was easier to zip from one tree to the next instead of going up and down.  Then someone brilliant thought to monetize it so people like us could pay money to put on uncomfortable harnesses, wear goofy hats, and fly through the forest.  I was totally in my element and loved every second.  Since our morning started with the early canopy tour, we decided to “be locals” with the second half of the day.  We lunched at an El Salvadorian restaurant and topped it off with dessert at the ice cream shop around the corner before walking the streets.  After a few hours we hopped on a bus back to Santa Barbara and our coffee plantation abode, stopping on our way for dinner at the local fancy restaurant.
   Despite being a little short for my taste, the trip was a success.  I am fully aware how blessed I am to have sisters that aren’t just family, but my closest friends as well.  And even more so that we travel well together :)  One of my favorite quotes is “The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page” (St. Augustine).  My heart is overjoyed that the pages of this trip are filled with pictures and memories with my sisters.

Alaska

Cruises spoil you for everyday life.  I don’t ever have set meal times where someone puts my napkin on my lap and brings fancy 5-course meals.  Or someone who makes my bed and leaves wash cloth animals to greet me on my return home.  Or the option of constant entertainment and/or constant relaxation, depending on what my heart desires at that specific time of day.  That’s not “real” life.  That is however, life on a cruise and I really enjoyed it.  In fact, after the first two days my sisters and I decided that cruises are like summer camps for adults.  Evidence for our conclusion includes a set schedule for the week with each new week being almost the same as the one before it, activities galore, the aforementioned assigned meal times, being encouraged (and in some cases forced) to meet new friends because you’re all living the same experience, excellent people watching, afternoon free time, staff members that are all ridiculously cheerful despite being over worked and under paid, less than comfortable beds, and an escape from real life that is in most cases overpriced.  Yet just like teenage summer camp, the cost is small compared to the benefit of the experience.
   This was my first cruise (not counting the family Caribbean cruise when I was two) and I have to admit I’m a newly converted, big fan.  With the exception of feeling overstuffed 90% of the time, I thoroughly enjoyed every element of my week at adult summer camp.  Our sea-filled adventure brought us to Alaska.  Wow it is beautiful…and large.  If you ever want to feel incredibly small, take a cruise to Alaska – it will give great perspective.  The journey brought us to three Alaskan towns – Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan – as well as Tracy Arm Fjord which looks remarkably similar to Yosemite, with the addition of massive glaciers and mysterious icebergs.  It was actually pretty amazing a huge ship could navigate such a narrow water way in the midst of so many invisible chunks of ice below the surface.  Ketchikan was easily my favorite port, such a quintessentially cute fishing town, it was hard not to like it.  Other highlights include Carlos and Paula – our waiter/ waitress duo for dinners (we liked them so much one of the days we rearranged plans in order to make our normal dinner time), walking laps around the deck while at sea, naps in the sun, learning about the engineering, navigation, and culinary operations of the ship, movies under the stars (or in our case, under the afternoon sun), and watching at least one episode of Downton Abbey season 2 all piled into Mom & Dad’s room each night.  Being together is the highlight of all the highlights.  I’m blessed and so thankful to be apart of a family that enjoys spending time together.  Getting to do that on a cruise made it all the more exciting and memorable.

Zoo

Until a few days ago I hadn't been to a legitimate zoo in quite some time.  Probably because I'm not really a zoo person.  Learning about and getting to see exotic or endangered animals semi-up close and personal is great.  That part I enjoy.  It's the other visitors and fanatical/ border line obsessed  zoo keepers/ workers that keep me away.  Zoos feel a little bit like Disneyland to me...a lot of little kids and nerdy park staff.  However, since the Woodland Park Zoo is less than 10 minutes from where I live and actually a pretty reputable tourist spot well loved by locals too, it made my Seattle-do list.  I have to admit I was pretty impressed - great park layout and attention to detail, all the animals you'd hope and expect to see at the zoo, and highly informational.  My nerdyness was brought out by the knowledgeable guide who lead us around the park so maybe I just needed to visit the right zoo to really appreciate the experience.  

Tuesday

Last Tuesday I ventured up to Roche Harbor for a friends wedding.  One of many harbors on the San Juan Islands, Roche is tucked away on the most western tip.  Getting there takes 3 hours, including a scenic ferry ride.  Everything about the area, and Roche Harbor specifically, is perfectly picturesque.  Although if I was a local, I'd definitely own a float plane and know how to fly it.  I think I'd feel a little trapped by the journey of getting there.  Regardless, for a two-day mid-week escape it was an ideal adventure.  Here's a few postcards that don't do it justice so I recommend making the trek in person.

Photo from the ferry

Road that leads to the Harbor, a.k.a resort

Focal point of the town

The Harbor at sunset

The beautiful bride

Canada in the distance

Seattle-Do

I am a list maker.  I make to-do lists, pro/ con lists, life lists, shopping lists, and the list of lists goes on.  Often times I include items on the list I've already accomplished simply for the satisfaction of getting to cross it off.  Yes, I'm that girl.  As you might imagine, living in a new city requires a new list.  I call it my "Seattle-Do" list.  Some of the items have been done, some of them were done then added to be crossed off, and some (actually most) have yet to be accomplished.  So in the spirit of accountability and collaboration I'm posting the list.  Feel free to check in on my progress and/ or make suggestions for items that should be included.

• Hike Mt. Si to top of Hay stack
• Go to Columbia Tower Starbucks
• Fly in float plane
• See troll under bridge in Fremont
• Buy flowers from Pikes Place
• Go on Seattle underground tour
• Visit Theo Chocolate factory
• Run a Seattle race
• UW tailgate in a boat
• Go to a Seahawks game
• Go to a Sounders game
• Hike Discovery Park
• Visit Kerry Park
• Bonfire on Alki Beach & Golden Gardens
• Visit Snoqualmie Falls (and Salish Lodge)
• Wine tasting in Woodinville - (which can totally be done again!)
• Have a bonfire at Golden Gardens
• Go on a tour of Starbucks HQ’s
• Visit the Woodland Park Zoo
• Hike Mt. Rainier
• Go to Red Hook brewery 
• See a concert at the Gorge
• Become a regular at a local coffee shop (on it’s way to being crossed off)
• Kayak, canoe, and/or paddleboard on Lake Washington
• ...

My attempt the typical "tourist" shot of Seattle from Kerry Park

Discovery

Thanks to my roommate Chelsey, last weekend I was introduced to a new favorite spot.  It's called Discovery Park.  I'm going to call it an urban hiking oasis because once in the park you'd never know downtown Seattle is only a quick 10 minutes away.  Seriously, where outside of Santa Cruz can you find an escape with legitimate hiking trails, beautiful ocean views, and scenic greenery all around?  OK fine, this probably exists outside of northern CA and WA, but where ever else that might be I've never been so it doesn't count yet. (Side note: the views of the "ocean" below are actually of the Puget Sound. Pretty much the same :))  Anyway, three of our four roommates went on a mini adventure to explore the trails that lead down to the water.  We cataloged almost every step of the way, including the moment when Katie and I attempted to do a yoga pose on a wet, sandy log which lead to her almost doing a face plant as she fell.  As you'll see below I too almost tumbled off in extreme laughter.  Had she been hurt, it wouldn't be funny.  However, since she wasn't seriously injured I still break out in uncontrollable laughter every time I see the series of pictures.
For numerous reasons I can't wait for summer. Discovery Park is now apart of that excited anticipation.  The park will likely be crazy busy, but I'm thinking/ hoping convenience will out weigh crowds and result in continued discovery.

February

February has definitely not been my most consistent post card month.  Actually, it’s been my least.  Sorry to anyone who stopped by looking for a post and left the page wondering if I’m alive.  I am.  And I have no great excuse to offer for my absence except that after almost six months of living in WA I have established a routine and it’s not all that exciting.  This translates into moments that don’t seem all that noteworthy and results in a month of silence from me.  However, that is about to change.  I’m here now to fill you in on some of the events that have occupied my everyday routine over the last month.

Not my picture, but it is the field we play on

Since most people would probably consider Monday the first day of the week, I’ll start there.  Monday night is soccer night.  The city of Seattle has a few different recreational soccer leagues varying in skill level and the one I’m in happens to be co-ed.  It also happens to be outside, in the winter months of the Pacific Northwest, on a regulation size field for the full 90 minutes, with legs and lungs that haven’t been in soccer shape since high school, whether rain or shine.  And let’s be honest, shine is rare these days so it’s mostly rain.  I hope I’m painting a picture that creates images of icicles and pain because it really does feel like that some nights.  Easing off the dramatics a bit, the team is made up of a bunch of my co-workers and kindly sponsored by LivingSocial (which is nice because the leagues up here are expensive!).  For the most part everyone on the team has played at some level with a few of them having played much more competitively in college.  As a whole we’re a pretty good, but our record doesn't exactly reflect that.  It's a building year :).  My favorite part is getting to “play” with people I would otherwise only know in a work setting.  The common ground and shared experience of a well fought game in freezing rain is great for bonding. 

Also great for bonding is eating.  Every once in a while a group of us from the office will venture up to Pike’s Place Market for lunch.  There are tons of food options for whatever you might be craving (except for Mexican food which I can’t seem to find anywhere!).  On one of our recent trips a few co-workers and I found an amazing bakery that sells some of the largest pastries I have ever seen.  We had to purchase one each because we thought no one would believe us if we didn’t.  The $3.75 was well worth it and we have proof! 

Not taken from Gas Works Park
But I did tell you Rainer is one of my favorites

Not that you wouldn't believe me, but if you didn't I also have proof that there are days of blue skies here.  Right in the middle of February there was a gloriously clear weekend.  I felt compelled to be outside.  My morning errands resulted in an early afternoon adventure where I stumbled upon Gas Works Park on the north end of Lake Union.  Fittingly named, it’s the former home of Seattle Gas Light Company and according to Wikipedia “contains remnants of the sole remaining coal gasification plant in the US”.  Despite all the complex machines now out of commission still occupying a portion of the park, I only took a picture of the view looking towards downtown.  The machines are interesting, but this was more captivating so you’ll have to keep checking back for a post card of the Plant.

Since I’m someone who tends to save the best for last, I also spent more time than usual with my sisters in February.  It was fabulous.  Shelly & Matt moved into a beautiful home in a military community near Ft. Lewis at the beginning of the month and Lindsay was in town to share in the festivities (a.k.a work).  The way I look at it, if you have to be doing the non glamorous labor of cleaning, boxing, loading, just to unload, un-box, and clean some more, you might as well get to do it with your sisters.  A few weekends later Shelly and I explored a new hiking trail that dumps you right onto WA version of a beach.  Pretty, but definitely leaves something to be desired.  Like sand. And sun.  I love that living here allows for weekends together.  

That about sums it up.  I'm going to commit to at least four postcards in March so anyone still reading this, feel free to hold me accountable.