Squeezing the Last Sunny Days Out of a Seattle Summer

I’m definitely not what you would call a morning person. I’m a firm believer that days should start once the hours enter double digits. Still, when the West Seattle Blog announced that Alki Kayak Tours slashed their $65 Alki Lighthouse run to $20, simply because they felt it would be a crime not to take advantage of 80+ degree weather in late September, they got me out of bed. Who can resist that kind of staff commitment to sharing an experience they clearly love?

So at 8:30am on a day when I was scheduled to work the closing bar shift, I found myself scarfing down a bagel & cream cheese and a boiled egg (fuel for this three-hour tour) and catching the free Water Taxi shuttle to our launch site.

This last minute plea brought together seven strangers, picked to paddle the waterfront, and find out what happens when they stop enjoying the scenery and start getting…tired. Our group consisted of a cute young couple, two adult women who had never kayaked before, myself, with the limited experience of once on a lake this past summer, and an old pro called “North Dakota Dave (or was it Dan?)”. Our gregarious guide was named Greg, but went by “Kona” since half the staff also appeared to be named Greg.

The staff had every amenity imaginable on hand, from the essential life jackets and equipment to waterproof bags for cameras and loaner sunglasses. Kona led us through a brief tutorial of how not to end up upside down while entering and exiting the boat and emergency exit procedures should you find yourself flipped to face the fishies. Then it was all hands on deck to haul the boats to shore and start paddling.

Alki Beach provides one of the best possible views of the Seattle skyline, but being locals our eyes were peeled more for the possibility of a seal sighting, foreshadowed by the far off barking echoing over the water and granted about ten minutes in. The group kept an easy pace to the lighthouse and back, stopping sporadically to let lagging members catch up, snap photos or bask in the sunshine. By the time we were halfway back to our starting point my arms had definitely begun to ache, but I took very little advantage of the freedom of the out-of-sight back paddler to slack off every now and then… I swear!

Home is Where the Permanent Address Is

I can remember to exact moment that I decided to move to Manhattan. I was standing in the middle of Times Square, fresh from dinner on the town and tickets to RENT, my first Broadway show. My girl friend and I stepped into the middle of Times Square and instead of feeling overwhelmed I let out a sigh of belonging. “I love this city,” I said to my girl friend. When she responded, “Why don’t you move here?” I was left literally speechless, racking my brain for an answer.

I grew up very attached to my hometown of West Seattle. On every family vacation I was afraid that something important was going to happen at home and I would miss out on the moment of a lifetime. I applied to college based on in-state tuition and proximity to lifelong friends and imagined settling down and building a family in the same zip code as my parents.

This all changed in my senior year of college. I toyed with the idea of transferring to an out-of-state school amidst changing my mind and my major almost seven times (hello, undeclared!), but I never had the guts to follow through. It wasn’t until a friend passed through the study abroad office and discovered a pamphlet for a quarter in Greece (a place I had always dreamed of and talked about going) that something clicked.

Of course, I was terrified. I didn’t pack for my three-month trip until the night before my flight departed. The layover in New York City to visit a friend was meant to break up my flight and ease myself into the trip. I had left the country before, but I had never spent more than three weeks away from home. I had no idea that those three days would change my life.

I went back to my friend’s dorm room after that night in Times Square and emailed my parents, “I think I want to live here one day.” I was convinced that I had just been given the perfect trial period- if I spent the next three months studying abroad homesick and miserable than I wouldn’t move, but if I came home to the same friends, family and city that I knew and loved then I was free to go anywhere in the world. As you may have guessed, Greece was amazing and a crowd of friends met me at the airport upon my return with balloons and a “Welcome Home” banner strung above our freeway exit.

Travelers are often characterized as “brave”, which was a label I had a hard time getting used to. Sure, a new place can be intimidating and keeping up long-distance friendships can take work, but when the worst-case scenario is coming home to a place that you love, it makes taking that first trip a whole lot easier.   

Forget Mega-Millions, I’ll Take Mileage!

The more I follow travel news the more I’m amazed by the too-good-to-be-true contests that abound in the industry lately. I don’t want to contradict the highly-respected opinion of my fellow travel blogger Camels & Chocolate (who gives a firsthand look at the actual WORK it takes to do this for a living) but there are some pretty serious chances at a travel enthusiast’s lottery out there. As they say, some lucky dog’s got to win it.

I was sucked into the Trazzler.com dream of a $10,000 prize and travel writing trip to NYC that had me spamming friends and begging for votes to make the finals.  The idea of a quick route into something I desperately wanted to do seemed so simple, until I remembered that I hate mass self-promotion via social networking.  I was momentarily disappointed by falling ten spots short of the finals where I would actually be judged on the merit of my work, but quickly decided to refocus my attitude on the amazing support I got from friends, fellow bloggers and complete strangers. If nothing else this provided a networking opportunity and growing blogroll of travel writers I discovered in the process.


In the meantime, there are other possibilities to be rewarded with a destination, while at the very least enjoying the journey. Wanderlust and Lipstick is offering a 12-day Health and Harmony spa vacation in Vietnam for the best travel story submitted, judged by five travel journalists. There are also five runner-up prizes for best in various categories.

Details here:
http://wanderlustandlipstick.com/about-us/contests/wanderwomen-write-contest/


The other best piece of advice I’ve received is to live an interesting life so that you have something to write about, so I’m preparing to skydive for my 30^th birthday! Ridiculous photos, terrified faces, and video full of octave-breaking screams to come…

Trazzler Travel Writing Contest

I've broken the top 20 of the 200+ semi-finalists in an online travel writing contest sponsored by Trazzler.com and NYCGO.com. The top ten most voted trips go to the finals to be judged on the merit of their writing, so I need your help to get there! The theme of the contest was to find an "Oasis", a place that lets you escape from everyday life and describe it in roughly 150 words or less.

As an added incentive, if selected as a winner I plan to donate half of the $10,000 prize to the American Cancer Society's Camp Goodtimes, a much needed "oasis" for children battling cancer.

I chose the sunset on Alki Beach in West Seattle, a view that has kept me going through many busy nights working at the restaurant where this is my "corner office". I can practically predict my night based around what time the sun goes down and our staff makes it a point, no matter how hectically we may be running around, to stop and enjoy this sight every night for at least a minute.

You can read my entry "Searching for the Perfect Sunset on Alki Beach" here:
http://www.trazzler.com/trips/alki-beach-in-seattle-wa-98116

***Update- made it to the top 20 contestants, but didn't break into the top ten finalists. Thanks for the love from those who voted!

Discovering Seattle’s OTHER Favorite Football Team

People like to say that Americans are the last to embrace the game of soccer as a professional sport, but it appears that someone forgot to tell that to the fans that occupy the Brougham section of Qwest Field during a Seattle Sounders game. Keeping a close eye on your friends is key in order to avoid being lost in a sea of bright green jerseys and twirling scarves (You’ve GOT to love a sport that provides its fans with not only uniforms but accessories!).


As a newbie to the sport I knew just enough to follow along the basic rules (no hands allowed, go for the goal on the opposite ends of the field, etc.), could distinguish the difference between red and yellow cards, and quickly learned to groan at the amount of time players spent rolling around on the field in pain and then miraculously leapt up and continued playing on said agonizing injury if it didn’t warrant a whistle.


What I didn’t realize is the sheer level of involvement of soccer fans! There was a young guy in the front of our section with a megaphone who led cheers, chants and songs nonstop throughout the entirety of the match. These ranged from multiple verses regaling the strength of Seattle to the less than PG-13 jeers of “F*!? You, A$$hole” directed towards the other team’s goalie every time he kicked, to the downright disturbing chants of “Let-him-die!” when an opposing team member was being carried off the field in a stretcher. Okay granted, he immediately got up and ran down the sidelines once off the field, but seriously?!


Overall it was good-natured fun. I may be a Seahawks girl at heart, but the passion of these season ticket holders was contagious. The only thing less than satisfying was the end result of tie with a score of 0-0. When neither side gets to walk out of the stadium taunting the other relentlessly, doesn’t everybody lose?

Woman Around the World

The more traveling you do, the more you discover ways to make it easier. In this season of spring break travel, I recently shared a few of my insights with Woman Around Town.


I’ve done a fair amount of traveling, from backpacking through Europe to basking in the Bahamas, and have discovered one universal rule- expect the unexpected. No matter how meticulously you plan your itinerary or confirm your reservations, rarely will everything go according to plan. This is part of the fun, embracing the unknown and learning to survive on your own resourcefulness.


But, as I learned this last year, a sense of adventure can become exhausted. While returning from six months abroad I was stranded for a week in snowstorm delays and holidays and quickly learned the value of a few helpful travel trips. So, as you plan for Spring Break escapades and sunny holidays, may I add a few suggestions to turn your trips from stressful to stress-free:


Write it Down
Sure, we live in a digital age where information seems available at your fingertips, but a good old fashioned piece of paper never loses reception or runs out of battery life. Keeping a copy of your passport, flight numbers, addresses and confirmation numbers in your carry on will save you from searching for an outlet, not to mention strengthen your argument if a computer system mysteriously loses your reservation.


Choose Space-Saving Entertainment
If you were traveling with a two year old, you would bring a bag full of toys, right? Well, twenty-two and fifty-two year olds deserve the same consideration. Stock up portable entertainment devices with downloads of your favorite songs, movies and television shows. Plus, paperback books and magazines that you won’t mind leaving behind will leave you extra room to bring home souvenirs.


Opt for Natural Nourishment
You never know when or where delays are going to strike, and if your red-eye flight gets put on hold airport food may not even be an option. Stash granola bars, nuts, dried fruit and health-conscious choices in your purse—just be sure to declare or dispose of anything prohibited by quarantine laws before boarding. Skip the caffeinated beverages and stick to bottled water in case you need a nap, not to mention fight the inevitable dehydration of flying.


Dress for Security
There is nothing worse than mile-long lines when you’re racing to make a connecting flight. Opt for slip on shoes, take off scarves, big jewelry and sunglasses while waiting in line and have your liquids and laptops ready to remove. Those extra ten seconds of effort really add up during high-volume times.


Talk to Thy Neighbor
When your flight gets cancelled it can turn into every passenger for themselves, particularly when it comes to fighting for those last few seats on the next flight. Talking to those around you might actually provide alternatives, like splitting a rental car for short destinations or to the nearest airport. Also, discovering that the person ahead of you in line is a soldier on leave or visiting a sick relative can ease resentment when a week long vacation gets cut a few hours short.


Wait Your Turn
Delays and cancellations can lead to crowded terminals. When boarding, stick with the directions given by flight crews. Stay seated and let those with small children or who may need a little extra time have the space to get through. Standing in the aisles as soon as boarding begins only causes congestion, and the plane can’t leave until everyone boards.


Be Nice
Flight attendants and ground crew are given the miserable job of delivering bad news that they have absolutely no control over. Aggression, yelling or making a scene these days is more likely to lead to calling security than a first class upgrade. Incorporating understanding and respect when approaching crew members with potential problems has led me to placement in aisle seats with extra legroom and inspired a phone call to ensure that a connecting flight would be held for our arrival.


Make the Best of Your Situation
Sometimes you just have to accept your circumstances. When choosing air travel we are at the mercy of increasingly unpredictable weather. When three days of flights around the holidays were canceled it became physically impossible to rebook every passenger immediately, airline staff were happy to accommodate my request that if I had to spend a three day layover anywhere, I wanted to be rerouted through Las Vegas (discount hotels and year-round entertainment!). Instead of dwelling on missed opportunities, start brainstorming your best possible Plan B, even if it’s simply which dream destination you’ll use for your refunded ticket.

The Novelty of Familiarity

One of the strangest habits to break after living abroad is learning not to get overly excited about things that remind you of home. In a foreign land your ears get accustomed to perking up at the mention of your hometown, or even just the sound of your native language. Sweatshirts with sports team logos and college colors seem to be written in neon lights.


These beacons are essential in combating homesickness. Wearing your home on your sleeve lets other people know a little bit about you, and can be especially helpful when you’re struggling to find any common ground to start with. It can lead to conversations based on mutual interests in completely unexpected places, and not just with fellow patriots- I found an Australian friend obsessed with the NBA!


And, if you can hold on to it, these little moments can help you see your hometown as someplace just as new and as wonderful as wherever you just visited. Just be prepared to feel like a kid in a toy store surrounded by a crowd of disinterested grown ups, or at least kids who already got everything last Christmas.