Everything’s Coming Up Milhouse

The best part of being in Seattle wasn’t seeing old friends (if you’re reading this guys, sorry.. although you were in the Top 5), showing Graham around, having drinks again at Unicorn, or a bunch of other things I was excited about during the trip. No, it was this:An UpdateThe fact that my old QFC Advantage number still works!

I didn’t think that feeling could be topped so soon, but then this happened:Everything's Coming Up MilhouseYes.. those are the trypophobic-inducing asiatic lilies.. and yes, that’s a compost bin. Thank you, Graham for helping me pry those suckers out of the ground and for being so much less of a jerk than me that you didn’t chase me around the yard with them.

Stacy

How I Spent My Summer Vacation – Irreconcilable Differences and Anger Issues

How I Spent My Summer Vacation
Capitol Hill neighborhood landmarks in a window on Broadway.

Rekindling a romance with an ex is hardly ever a good idea; although sentimental feelings may initially get the better of you, sooner or later, two things may happen. One is that you realize that you’ve both changed too much for it to work.

In spite of the parks, food (Graham finally got to try a Seattle dog straight from the cart… 3 times), and scenery, the city’s gone through some major changes since I left. Modern boxy a”pod”ments have cropped up all over the city. There’s a Panera Bread on Capitol Hill.. A Panera Bread! I have nothing against Panera Bread, but to see it sprout up on the first floor space of condo building made me sad. So many of my favorite places have closed their doors.. and Capitol Hill seems to be resonating a different vibe. The average price of a one-bedroom is now over $1600/mo. I remember when mine cost $900/mo. I know.. my complaint is betraying my age. I don’t know how many times Graham heard me wail, “What the heck is this?!” every time we happened across a new micro-condo building or flashy-looking bar. “The Seattle I knew has jumped the shark!”

How I Spent My Summer Vacation
At least Portage Bay is still around. Try the Migas! A Graham recommendation

Okay, that whiney comment isn’t fair. It seems like the changes happening to the old neighborhoods are to accommodate the younger transplants attracted to the abundance of both established tech companies and start-ups. My surliness stems from my intense dislike of box-y buildings (it’s so silly how “easy to use, out of the box” housing literally puts you in a 225 sq ft box) and the younger generation.. so in other words, the stereotypical attitude that “everything was better before” that comes with age.

The second thing that inevitably happens is that your differences start to resurface.

If you ask my friends and family to describe me, “laid-back,” will make an appearance on the list.. as “whatever the hell the antithesis of laid-back is.” True. Before I moved to Philly, I’d never lived on the East Coast. Yet, for some reason, people have always been surprised that I grew up in the Midwest and lived in Seattle, usually pinning me, instead, as a stereotypical angry East Coaster. Graham got to witness my impatience rearing its ugly head during our vacation: “WTF! These people need to just get the hell off the sidewalk if they’re not going to actually move!”

Yes, I am, by nature, an angry person. Sorry. <— Apparently, really apologetic about it.

How I Spent My Summer VacationThere was one particular incident that soured a large portion of our Monday afternoon. We stopped off at Top Pot Doughnuts after finishing up the Underground Tour (highly recommend it.. even for long-time Seattle residents if you’ve never done it) and got coffees and shared a doughnut. We needed to get back to Capitol Hill to make it to drinks with some friends, so Graham took his coffee with him to finish up on the way.

Within a few blocks though, the peacefulness of the day was interrupted by a rogue dufflebag that a passerby walking in the opposite direction without a sense of diplomatic personal space wildly swung into Graham’s coffee.. covering both our cardigans, my jeans, t-shirt, and bra in lukewarm latte. The man muttered an “ooops,” as he continued walking.. no apologies.. no stopping. Graham and I both yelled profanities after him.. but y’know.. not too loud.. we felt conspicuous disrupting the laid-back West Coast vibe of those around us who stared in bewilderment at bridled East Coast fury.How I Spent My Summer VacationWhile we searched for a Tide pen on our way back to our AirBnB (a brand new pen I’d eventually need to use all of on just 2 articles of clothing), I kept thinking, about how much I wanted to unleash the wrath of a Philadelphian on that guy. That’s when I realized, in spite of all my Seattle-raving.. Philadelphia really is where I belong.

So… here’s my revised break-up letter to Seattle..

breakupletter2

Or…

When processed through the Stacy-Handwriting-Decoder:

Dear Seattle, 

I will always have the greatest admiration and respect for you. You were exactly what I needed at that moment in my life, and I will always cherish the memories and be grateful for your part in my growth. That being said, I acknowledge we’re on different paths from each other. I wish you all the best and will always reserve a special place in my heart for you. I know we’ll always be good friends.

Love always, 

Stacy

 

How I Spent My Summer Vacation – Rose (Dahlia?) – Colored Glasses

If you’ve ever caught up with an ex you’ve spent time thinking about wistfully, your initial impression is usually positive and you start wondering “Why did we ever break up?” Seattle summers have the same effect on me. Talk to any Seattleite about the things they love most about their city, and “The Summers” will probably be found amongst the top 5. It’s definitely the best time to visit if you’re at a loss for deciding when to plan a trip, although there is one great disadvantage to the season: too much to see and do that you might not get to fit everything on your list. I didn’t have a chance to show off Discovery Park, Dim-Sum, Pho, any of the islands, Gas Works Park, etc.. but luckily, I managed to fit enough into our 5 days that Graham was pleased with the city. There are a couple areas I thought I’d highlight on the blog that you don’t hear about as often as the Space Needle, Pike Place Market, or Gum Wall when Seattle comes up as a travel topic.IMG_20160719_174915Volunteer Park – Designed by the Olmsted brothers, and if you’re a fan of Devil In The White City  by Erik Larson, you probably recognize what was once the foremost name in landscape architects.

How I Spent My Summer Vacation
A shot of the interior dome of the water tower in Volunteer Park

The park includes a conservatory, a water tower (with free access to an observation deck), a gated reservoir, and the Seattle Asian Art Museum.

My favorite feature of the park though would have to be the dahlia garden.How I Spent My Summer VacationAs I mentioned on Instagram earlier this week, I chose dahlias for my bridal bouquet specifically because it reminded me of Volunteer Park.

Lakeview Cemetery – Next door to Volunteer Park is Lake View Cemetery.. aka the final resting place for both Bruce and Brandon Lee. Even if you’re not a Kung Fu film buff or a former goth kid obsessed with The Crow, it’s still worth a visit if only for gravestone photography or the gorgeous monkey puzzle tree.How I Spent My Summer Vacation

There’s usually a few people in the cemetery paying their respects to the Lees, evident by the numerous bouquets that are left on their graves, but it’s ideal if you’re looking for a quiet place with some aesthetics to recharge before continuing on with sites with more tourist traffic.

Stacy

How I Spent My Summer Vacation – Rekindling An Old Flame

A change in the blog schedule this week as I’m planning on updating more than twice with a Seattle series.

How I Spent My Summer Vacation
The iconic Elephant Car Wash sign in South Lake Union, Seattle.. viewed through rose-colored glasses.

After graduating from high school, I promised myself that I wouldn’t live in any one city for longer than 5 years. The perpetual Five-Year-Plan of logistics was no doubt a side effect of growing up in small town Salina, KS. Moving to a completely new city may seem daunting to most people, but around the 4th year of taking up residence somewhere, my feet would start to itch with the need to wander, and my heart would ache for new adventures. I’ve always been able to happily bid goodbye to a city (save for the friends I’d made) from the rearview mirror of a car, but Seattle was the outlier. The morning of my departure in 2011, my friend Jon picked me up to take me to the airport, and as I kept looking back to watch Seattle’s skyline shrink into the horizon, I was surprised to find myself struggling against tears.

How I Spent My Summer Vacation
View from West Seattle

When I decided to move back to the Midwest, I joked about my breakup letter to my home of 4.5 years:

seattleletter

Since leaving Seattle five years ago, I’ve lived in Ann Arbor, MI and Philadelphia, PA. There were 2 instances when I almost moved back to the PNW (that’s the Pacific Northwest for those of you unfamiliar with the acronym). Although now I’m successfully rooted in Philadelphia, I still rave with some annoying consistency to anyone who will listen about my friends in Seattle and the city itself.

Like…

Graham: Want to go out for Pho?

Me: Please. Seattle has the best pho places. And nothing beats Pho Bac. I hate going out for pho here; *sigh* it’s like setting myself up for disappointment.


Graham: You probably shouldn’t be walking through that neighborhood that late at night.

Me: *sigh* You could walk EVERYWHERE in Seattle and not have to worry!


Me: I never had AC in Seattle. You don’t need it except for 3 days in the summer when you just park yourself in a movie theater. Oh, and the sun doesn’t set until like 10:00 at night . *Sigh*

You get the point. I’m one of THOSE people.. Annoying progressive PNW elitist.

How I Spent My Summer Vacation
Fremont, Seattle – Center of the Universe Sign

So when Graham and I were trying to decide where to go this summer, I readily accepted his challenge of “Why don’t you show me what’s so great about Seattle.”

Um… EVERYTHING?!

Don’t get me wrong.. I love Philly.. but.. Seattle is like that ex you broke up with because you were aiming for something better and more stable, but after several months go by, you start questioning whether you made the right decision.. and then start wondering if you’re viewing the past relationship with the rose-colored glasses that time and distance provide. This trip was going to be my chance to find out by reconnecting with my old flame, the Emerald City, and staying in my old neighborhood in Capitol Hill.. and I didn’t even have to throw out a passive-aggressive Craiglist missed connection to have that chance.

Stacy