There's a city that I'm in love with. There's a city that I long to be. Yes, I realize that the logical conclusion for me to jump to is to pack up and move there, but this time, I'm trying to do this right.
Years ago, as a teenager, I fell in love with Seattle. I didn't fall in love with the real Seattle, but I fell in love with its tourist traps and atmosphere. In October, I had the opportunity to go back again, and see Seattle on my own with a cheesy map from a hotel lobby, a camera, and a pocket full of change. Sure, I still did the tourist things, but this time I did it as an adult. I went there to figure out what the city was all about. I walked down the street with the rest of the early morning Seattle-ites grabbing coffee and bustling away. I meandered through the Market and watched it come to life. I picked up freshly baked goods from all over the world and I bought an apple, like the locals do. When it rained, I embraced it. I sat in a cafe and wrote in the back of a novel as I listened in on real conversations.
A couple weeks ago, I went back to this city that has my heart. With an extra day off from school I bought a train ticket and wandered North to see a friend.
If you're a Portlander, I highly recommend going up to Union Station and taking the train up along the Sound. Along with it being an affordable option, the is ride comfortable and beautiful. Everything from the 1920's feel of the train stations to the sights along the way; the ride is unforgettable, no matter what season you're in. The ride is around 3 hours, depending on the time of day, and the trains are almost never full. Plus, Seattle is a very walker friendly town, so get your shoes on and wander. Take a timeless classic to read and dream away as you cross the state line.
Having grown up in Southern China, the fam and I constantly made trips
to Hong Kong which sparked my love for the ferry boats that delivered thousands of people across the harbour every day. While in Seattle we
decided to take a trip on the ferry to Bainbridge Island. I do not
recommend going to this island, unless you happen to love frightening
Stepford-esque towns run by yuppies. Why did we go? Because it was a
short ferry ride over, and all we really wanted to do was ride the
ferry. But for all the fright that we endured while on the island (and
the liquor run that we made to keep us alive) the ferry was well worth
it. Take the ferry at sunset if you can. You may fall in love with
the city like I have.
After our intrepid journey across the Sound and back (thankfully), we made our way to Kent to see the Seattle Thunderbirds face-off the Everett Silvertips. With a victory for the T-Birds, a good time was had by all. The crowd was electric at this rivalry game and it was an exciting experience for GracefullyPunk's first hockey game. As for me, I love hockey and the smell of the rink always soothes my soul. The T-Birds will be down in Portland to face off the Winterhawks on 21st February; a game I will make time to see.
The next morning, we made our way down to the market for some fish and chips and other delights. Meandering our way around the block and through the alleyways we found a bevy of amazing locations. We wandered through a bookstore, completely dedicated to travel books. An amazing store that was very hard to resist shopping in. We landed at Piroshky Piroshky, a Russian bakery and one of my favourites, as well as a Chinese Mee Sum stand where I cured my homesickness with a Char Sui Bao. We eventually found ourselves at Jack's Fish Spot, where we found some of the best fish and chips in town. With the boys chopping potatoes and frying them to order in the back, I quickly fell in love with them, only to want to jump over the bar to propose marriage to one of them upon tasting how perfectly salted the chips were. Best chips in the United States, hands down.
With all of this, I made it to my train, barely, and I left the city with a piece of my heart once again. When I finally reached Portland, I couldn't help wishing I could turn around and go back again. So for now, I miss this city I love, and I can't wait until we meet again.
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