Growing up in the rural suburbia of Bellingham, WA, I was somewhat of a country girl when I arrived in Seattle. Though I still hold tightly to my country roots (country music!), most would probably describe me more as a Seattlite-hippie, obsessed with the outdoors and REI shopping, OCD about the three R's (reduce, reuse, recycle), and supporter of organic and local products. Not to mention my transition from the right-wing to a more neutral stance, influenced by my many liberal and moderate minded friends, experience, and education. Yes, it is safe to say that I have fallen in love with Seattle over the past several years, and although I won't miss the traffic, it is somewhat sad to bid it farewell.
Yesterday my friend Ruth and I roamed around downtown. A nice 25 minute walk to lower Queen Anne, to find that we were thirsty rather than hungry so went in search of a coffee shop for smoothies. Forget the hype I always talk about, we walked about 10 blocks and found one Tully's that was closed. "This is Seattle," I griped, "there's supposed to be a bloody coffee shop on every corner!" So we became more dehydrated as we walked clear down to Pike (although without realizing it) and got our Tully's smoothies. I was, in the meantime, snapping random pictures of things as we walked past. Rather uninteresting for the most part but perhaps will interest my Japanese students. It felt rather silly, acting like a tourist in a town that you live in, and felt that even my dress hardly fit the tourist stereotype (at least one of my friends would say I was wearing hippie clothes - of course my green festival t-shirt and nylon minty green knee-length skirt).
So following the throngs of tourists down to Pike's Place, my eyes suddenly caught a sign that drastically changed our non-existent itinerary. "AHHH!!! UGHH!!!! AHHH!!!" I exclaimed, my finger extended as far as it would go, pointing at an old wooden sign hanging from a shop near the produce market. The sign, had an ice cream cone and the words "Frozen Yogurt". Ruth and I had been attempting to discover frozen yogurt in downtown Seattle for some odd months, as only Bellevue, Southcenter and Alderwood have fro-yo shops. Ruth didn't really understand my strange noises and gestures, until she read the sign, to which she responded with her own noises as well. We walked down the old wooden steps, in awe of the soft-serve fro-yo being eaten in front of our eyes. Disappointment soon followed. We had no cash. To shorten the story, we did end up walking several blocks to our respective credit union and bank, so that we could withdraw cash, buy our fro-yo (I had strawmarionberry in all its bright pink glory) and then went on our merry way to SAM 
(Seattle Art Museum) for a pic and then back up to Westlake to figure out which bus we wanted to take to the Seattle Center for, what else, fudge. Of course, upon arrival at Westlake, I realized, we could take the monorail! Yes that piece of crap that travels along a rickety-looking track a few stories above the street (and imminent death) directly to the Seattle Center. Of course, we chose the worst day considering it was The Bite weekend (Bite of Seattle). People from all around show up for this gluttonous event, as everyone stuffs their faces with sample foods and treats from various Seattle eating establishments (far over-priced though). So we waited in the longest line we have ever seen for the monorail, paid a ridiculous $2 to ride it, and ended up in what some call the heart of Seattle.
Yes, then directly to purchase our fudge (chocolate mint!!!) and more touristy pictures. Then an inordinate amount of weaving and dodging through all the eaters until we reached Mercer St. to walk down to Sushiland, home of the most inexpensive, but still delicious, sushi in Seattle. Aside a bus ride back to my apartment, this marked the end of our tourist excursion. And yet I still need to get down to Pioneer Square, Safeco and Quest fields, Gasworks and maybe even Alki Beach, for a few more pictures. Of course most would hardly recognize MY Seattle in pictures, those places that no tourist would ever find, live, work, play, etc, so I must seek out TOURIST Seattle. Yet, these short excursions have served as a means for closure as I prepare to close this chapter. All the neighborhoods, schools, parks, restaurants, stores...that have served as a backdrop for so many memories I have, I am leaving this amazing mural of my life. In five days, a new canvas will be brought out and a new mural painted. To all of those I am leaving behind, I am so blessed to have spent this time with you and to make the memories we have made. So this is the beginning of my new blog based in Japan, and will be posting again soon. Sayonara, my dearest Seattle.
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