You may have noticed my blog has been radio silent for the last 7 months (or actually, you probably didn’t, I’m not Kim Kardashian). I wanted to share a quick update to let you know I am alive and well and have an excited new project I have been working hard on with my partner, Sarah Miller.
We have launched a PNW online travel guide. It has been a great learning experience in organization and time management. We have also realized how lucky we are to be surrounded by smart, talented friends who will help us with our project. (Shout out to Eric Durr, our wonderful visual designer, Amy Dickson, our fabulous marketing pro, and Piper Hacket, our eyes-like-a-hawk copyeditor)
We have been to so many places we might not have ever seen. We have been invited to events we might not have ever experienced and learned a lot about ourselves in the short 5 months the blog has been live. I can’t wait to see where it goes. Please feel free to follow along!
I think I can say in all honesty this was one of the best vacations of my life. I am only 26 so plenty of trips in the future might outseat it as #1, but right now, I can’t think of a place I felt happier. The food was amazing, the sun was bright, the weather a perfect 80 degrees and I was there with my favorite person. We were able to experience some amazing things: swimming with giant whale sharks, being in a tiny boat on the open ocean and hearing humpback whales sing to each other right below us, and learning to surf–where you feel like you are invincible for the 30 seconds you ride that wave! It really was a magical, peaceful, friendly, and delightful place.
Iain and I started off the new year with a hike through beautiful British Columbia. The day was one of the coldest of the year, but we didn’t let that stop us!
Mosquito Creek Trail
And then we warmed up by the fire with Masie and worked on the crossword. Naps followed.
Wow, how can it almost be 2016 right now? This year FLEW by and for the first time in my life I have completed a new year’s resolution. This is finally, finally NOT me:
To finish out the year let’s review the last few weeks of new things:
First up, I had the pleasure of spending a week with my new friend, Timber.
Topping the charts for best dog I’ve ever dog-sat.
I also tried some new food over the last few weeks. The market has this amazing bakery and the owner recommended this jewish pastry, Rugelach. It did not disappoint!
Kracken Congee is a new Korean place that opened up near work. I’ve never had congee and my first introduction was very nice! Salmon with edamame and garlic congee + bang bang shrimp pinch buns (not pictured).
I also tried a new mexican street vendor in the market, I scarfed down my huevos rancheros so fast I forgot to get a photo, but here is a sign from their counter that made me chuckle:
The market is so festive at Christmas I try to go as much as possible!
Christmas decor at Pike Place Market on a dreary December day.
I was fortunate enough to go home for Thanksgiving and Christmas this year and I always feel so full of happiness when I leave home. It’s bittersweet flying back to Seattle, but being away makes the time at home so rich.
Our handmade stocking compliments of Granny.Tom holding the beautiful christmas cake!
Oddly enough my new thing this christmas was making and decorating sugar cookies! I don’t think I have ever done it and now I hope it becomes a tradition, better late than never!
The cutting was much more successful than the decorating 🙂
And then I flew home to Seattle, chasing the setting sun. The window seat always reminds me how beautiful the world is and how lucky I am to be a part of it.
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Finally, on the VERY last day of the year, Iain and I went (for the first time) to Van Dusen Botanical Gardens in Vancouver. They hold a pretty amazing light exhibit.
A colorful and cold end to 2015!
And I will leave you with this quote I found on a windowsill at Pike Place Market overlooking Puget Sound to finish off my year of new things.
“The fisherman know that the sea is dangerous and the story terrible, but they have never found those dangers sufficient reason for remaining ashore.”
Cheers to 2016 being full of adventures out to sea!
Over the last few weeks I have managed to squeeze in a few new experiences to keep my new years resolution alive!
The week I went back to Missouri for Thanksgiving was full of experiences that are familiar, which is what I like about it. I did manage to check out a new BBQ place in KC though, Char Bar. It is definitely a good place to get BBQ and hang out, but nobody can beat Joe’s for taste. Do yourself a favor if you go to Char Bar though: cheesy hushpuppies.
Our newest farm dog, Blue
The following week I got to check out the MOHAI for the first time when I was able to attend the Geekwire Gala. I also saw an amazing play at the Seattle Repertory Theatre, Come From Away. I laughed, I cried. Feeling will be felt, but it is completely worth it.
Fun with great friends/coworkers!
And this last week I went to Tavolata, an italian restaurant in Belltown, that has food that will make you want to move in.
Pumpkin ravioli with butter sage sauce. YUM!
And I got to meet the newest member of a friend’s family, Corwin. If I think about it, he is my first baby friend. I’ve never been around a baby like this. He was so warm and squishy. I fell in love almost immediately.
I get what all the hype is about now!
I have a few other things to accomplish by the end of the year! Hopefully I can get everything in.
I’ll leave you with this quote from my planner that I have been pulling inspiration from when I feel overwhelmed.
Do you ever have a week that you just win at? You boss through it and accomplish everything on your to do list and still manage to do some more boss stuff on top of that?
Last week was my winning week.
Sunday, I discovered a co-op brewery 5 minutes from my house with a Lavendar IPA. Two of my favorite things combined into one, lavendar + hops.
Then, I smashed out 11 phone interviews and found some great candidates for my companies internship program.
Then, I go to Vancouver and Iain took me to the BEST taco place. It was so good we went two days in a row. La Taqueria…seriously if you are reading this and live anywhere near Vancouver, BC, pull a Nike and Just Do It.
And then to cap it all off, the Canucks beat the Blackhawks and thanks to my amazing madre we had center line tickets 8 rows from the ice. It as glorious.
And now I get to go home to my family for Thanksgiving and chow down on a Midwestern (creamy, cheesy, carby) Thanksgiving feast.
This week a friend of a friend opened a new bar in town and a famous chef, who I am not friends with, opened a new donut shop. So when I was planning the week I had a lot to look forward to.
JarrBar is a new bar in town with Spanish influence. It is stocked full of wine and has a fantastic, one of a kind small plates menu. Don’t even get me started on the jamon iberico and the piquillos … amazing! Definitely a spot to check out.
The new donut shop, General Porpoise didn’t disappoint either. I mean just look at these puppies:
Chocolate marshmallow, apple jam, lemon curd, peanut butter and jelly to name a few!But vanilla custard takes the cake! MUY DELICIOUSO
Last, I decided I needed to try what all the hipsters were raving about, Kombucha. And I’m pleased to say I liked it, but not for the health benefits, because it is basically breakfast beer. Score.
In my venture to try a new thing every week I have stumbled upon some pretty cool new experiences, and this weeks was definitely cool and unique: Miracle Berry Tablets.
Miracle Berry Tablets desolve on your tongue and then changes your taste buds. From the website: “Transform foods you never thought could be so sweet and delicious. Lemons taste like lemonade. Hot sauce taste like hot donut glaze. Miracle berries makes healthy eating fun and delicious.”
And it works!
That little tablet turns lemons into lemonade!
Other samples included dill pickles, goat cheese, salt and vinegar chips, strawberries, and limes! All sweet as candy!
Last week kicked off the fall/winter holiday season. I always feel like once Halloween hits, the rest of the year is just a wash of social outings with really great food, which means I am in a fantastic mood!
My friend Sarah and I went as Wayne and Garth this year. Party on.
If you don’t know the reference here is a photo of the original Wayne and Garth from their SNL days. Pretty uncanny if you ask me.
A colleague also had a costume he left behind at the end of the day (it didn’t fit on the bus), which I took the liberty of trying on for size.
And we were gifted with some very spooky and delicious donuts:
Yes, please.
Along with Halloween I also had my company’s gallery and speaker series event, which I was in charge of planning. Much stress, but also much fun. The night was a success, with the artist selling two paintings and our speakers from Fred Hutch Cancer Research holding the crowd’s attention with their hopeful stories of one day curing cancer.
A few photos from the event:
The view is always killer at Blink and our band rocked.Ankitha and I all prepped for the event. I’m obviously more excited than she is.Dr. Jen Adair, of Fred Hutch, telling the story of her life-changing brain tumor research.
And we also had a photobooth, which I enjoyed:
AND still true to my NY Resolution, I had a couple of new experiences.
First up, I went to Costco for the first time. This was my first bulk shopping experience, and oh have I been missing out. Samples galore and don’t forget the cost savings! Plus they literally have EVERYTHING. If you took a person from Kenya to Costco, I think they would pass out from the excess of goods. Just insane.
They have everything, including GIANT teddy bears.
Second, I tried a new brunch spot with my friends on Saturday, Portage Bay. They are famous for their french toast/pancake toppings bar. It is stocked with all the fruit, nuts, syrup, and whipped cream for you to make a masterpiece, as I did here:
About 12 toppings in all. #winning
I know it seems like this will be a hard week to beat, but like I said it’s the holiday season. Life is meant to be lived in excess this time of year and I don’t plan on holding back. Bring it on November/December.
Welp last week I was summoned to jury duty. Every Americans favorite duty.
At first I stressed about work, then I thought about how boring it would be to sit around all day in a courthouse, then I groaned about the fact that the wifi was slow in the waiting room.
Then they called my name. A pool of 40 people for a trial. I thought, “Ok, I’m young, inexperienced, they won’t pick me. They only need 12 people.”
Then they picked me.
It was harder than I ever could have imagined. Everyone tells you how miserable jury duty is, but no one says how awful the feeling of judging a person, potentially sending someone to prison is. I hope I’m never called back again and it has nothing to do with missing the days of work.
Silver lining is that this week I could eat real food again! And eat I did! MMMmmmm.
Pizzeria GabbianoSoup made by my wonderful neighbor and shared with me!Caramel shortbread from Il Corvo
Hopefully this week is full of more great food and I can put the trial behind me.
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Uncharted Territory 