Today was a great day.
"Una Bella Tazza Di Caffe"
7:15a
Since arriving in Seattle, I've done my best to stick to my normal sleep schedule. Working fairly early at 7a, I'm surprisingly not a morning person and the last thing I need is to get used to a 2-hour difference that will only make it harder to get up in the morning. To keep the trip home as unjarring as possible, I've been up between 4-5:30a while here, allowing me to get local coffees at Espresso Vivace with time to cook my own breakfast back at my temporary home. Getting an early start to the day has given me the chance to experience as much of the day as I can, and I have not been disappointed.
9:30a
"I remember when this road was my own//
I pray to God, I just don't know anymore..."
Whenever traveling, I tend to prefer hoofing it on foot versus renting a car. It's always been easier to catch the sights when I don't have to worry about navigating unknown traffic and trying to park. This morning, I walked into downtown and decided to take the day to Gas Works Park, some miles away from where I was staying. During my last trip to Seattle, I caught a cab to the park and walked back - wanting to retrace my steps, I decided to do the opposite this time. Taking a walk past the Space Needle and trekking across the Fremont Bridge, I came across Fremont Brewing per the recommendation of my beer aficionado Lauren back home and began making memories.
11:15a
Local beer is the best beer.
Walking into the brewery, I caught two locals signing enthusiastically in ASL while enjoying a cigarette. My own ASL was so rusty it was more or less a staph infection waiting to happen, so I opted out of interrupting for a brief "hello," fearful they would expect someone who was fluent. In the brewery, the gal behind the counter greeted me with a smile and asked where I was visiting from, my tourist-vibe apparently more obvious than I thought. Per her recommendation, I tried the Bourbon Barrel Aged Dark Star, an Imperial Oatmeal Stout aged in 15 year old single use Kentucky Bourbon Barrels that was only served in 6oz glasses. I wasn't disappointed in the least.
Fremont Brewing for a few.
After scoping out the joint, I joined two gentlemen laughing hysterically at an inside joke; upon seeing my face while searching for a place to sit, Jose (whom I would soon meet) offered me a seat. After picking up on the German accent, I was introduced to his Brother-In-Law Boyce, who was visiting from München for a week-trip that was extended due to the German airline strike. Getting to know Jose, I came to find out that he was recently out of the Army and had just interviewed for and was offered a Diesel Mechanic role at the airport, allowing him to spend more time with his wife and daughter, who FaceTimed while we were talking and whom I got to introduce myself to amidst choruses of "Daddy! Daddy! Who's that man? Daddy! Daddy!" We talked shop over beers, on serving in the military, coming home and trying to find a stable job that wouldn't force his family to relocate. I spoke to what I knew best: recruiting, specifically on some of the initiatives being worked from the top down to support our veterans and their struggle for finding employment once their service was complete. Jose was thankful, and we shared another. After some more laughs and a few more beers, Jose and Boyce left for the airport, where Boyce would hopefully get a flight home to his own family. I wished them both well, and looked around to the rest of the brewery's lobby.
Fremont Brewing Co.
Friends talking over a few beers.
After finishing my remaining beer, I began to pack up at the same time as the signing couple I saw outside. They had been in deep conversation while I was connecting with Jose and Boyce, and were easily some of the most photogenic accidental subjects I've ever taken while traveling. After having a bit of liquid courage that trumped my lackluster ASL skills, I caught their attention and disjointedly said that I had been learning ASL slowly, but would love to photograph them if they were comfortable with helping me document my trip. Their eyes lit up, smiling and signing an enthusiastic "yes" while posing together in front of the brew list. The one in the beard's name is Douglas, and I was unfortunately unable to catch the name of his partner. They thanked me for the photo opportunity and for saying "hello," despite my ASL being limited. As it turns out, something as simple as a smile and a greeting can make all the difference.
Signing my name was the biggest compliment they could've given me.
12:30p
A toll was paid, and it was fair.
After making friends at Fremont Brewing, I ventured to the Fremont Bridge Troll in good Seattle tourist fashion. He was just as surly as I remembered, but kind enough to let the two kids who were climbing his hands and face continue their adventure.
Gross, kid.
After snapping a few shots of them having their fun (and being mistaken for their father by a passerby), I was approached by a gentleman asking for spare change. Having had to get cash for a bus ride out of the city, I had a few dollars to give and was happy to do so - to be homeless is one of the scariest, bravest places in life to be and I've always been one to help when I can. After providing what I could, I asked the gentleman's name which, judging by the shock on his face, few had done before. He introduced himself as Wes, and asked where I was visiting from - upon hearing Minneapolis, his face lit up as he told he his mother grew up just outside of Hopkins (a local suburb) and he would take trips to Minneapolis often from his hometown of South Chicago. Wes was an avid Prince fan, going on to tell me the tales of receiving Rainbow Children from his parents and the album being his favorite of all time.
Similar to Prince, Wes goes by a one-word moniker and looks amazing in purple.
Wes had lived in Seattle for 11 years now, most of which on the streets...he aspired to move back to Chicago once he was back on his feet, but he enjoys living in Seattle for now. After hearing where I had traveled while in town, he offered one spot outside of the city for me to visit - Ashland, OR where the hot springs are healing and the Shakespeare festivals are merry with rhyme and enthusiasm for the arts. A spiritual man, he went on to talk about the healing energies e felt in the Ashland hot springs and the value in a good conversation every now and then. I thanked him for his time, and asked if he minded me sharing our conversation and his photo - met with more surprise, as he admitting to not really considering himself to be that interesting to tell a story on. After catching a shot or two and thanking him again for his time, he once again asked me for my name and said he would be sure to remember me if we met again. I hope we do someday.
1:30p
A storm is coming.
After meeting some of the most interesting people I could've encountered, I finally made it to Gas Works Park, where the winds were high and the soil wet with mud and evidence of geese. Stepping carefully through the park I'd only explored once before, I remembered my favorite spots as quickly as the rain came and went. Walking through the sculptures, I recalled watching children running through the arches, ducking behind rusted works and evading happy, but visibly exhausted parents.
In living color.
"My odds are stacked||I'll go back to black..."
While shooting, I saw two lovely young ladies enjoying the day. Being a self-admitted narcissist at times when it comes to my appearance (I dominate the Sweater Weather game and you all know it), I know the true value in being respectfully complimented on your look by onlookers. Both girls had an amazing style that was very fitting to each of them, and blushed at the compliment I offered. With the brief bit of chemistry, I asked if they would be open to modeling for me while we were in a natural studio space. They obliged, and our impromptu shoot was brief, but amazing. Childhood best friends, the girls were taking a day trip from San Diego and would be heading back shortly after they grabbed a bite to eat; despite the chill, their demeanor was both warm and welcoming and we exchanged info for me to show them the final results. Their names were Shelly (black hat in good American Horror Story: Coven fashion) and Samantha, and they were amazing.
"California girls, we're undeniable. .."
"Whether I lose or if I win// I know one thing that'll never change, and that's you as my best friend..."
3:00p
Gas Works Park
After walking through downtown Seattle, drinking amazingly brewed beer and meeting some of the most incredible people, I ventured back to rest and recharge for a likely equally adventurous evening. Trusting Yelp! with my dinner plans, I found a local Vietnamese restaurant to eat at. Heralded as one of the best eateries in town, I was pleasantly surprised to see that it was a couple of miles from the condo. On my way back from Gas Works, it began to rain a bit more, so I opted to take a Lyft to dinner...here's where I met Willy.
Red light district.
A kind millennial with a bright face and a beaming smile, Willy was one of the very first Seattle natives I'd met whole visiting. We joke about the "boomerang transplants from the Midwest," or people who ventured out to the coast for a new life and, once they've had their fill for a few years, return back to their hometown roots. Having gone to school in San Francisco and living there for a few years after graduating, Willy was no foreigner to the term. As we were stuck in traffic for a time, Willy and I occupied ourselves with conversation on local music, beer suggestions and reveling in our travels, both domestic and abroad. I spoke to my month-long travels to Australia and New Zealand to be pleasantly countered with his recent 3 year stint in Southeast Asia. After college, Willy began working in Recruiting (another topic we shared) in the San Fran area and decided to take some time to travel away from home. Since being back, he's taken Lyft as an opportunity to relax and regroup before deciding on his next adventure. He's not sure where he'll land, but for now he's happy to have the opportunity to chat with a variety of people while making enough money to live comfortably. Our trip ended too soon for my liking, but I thanked him for good conversation and made sure to tip the veteran traveler well.
4:30p
Long Provincial Vietnamese makes their martinis strong and their food with love. Enjoying a quiet dinner downtown while people-watching from the window makes for a great close to the day. Being the first of the dinner crowd and the only patron at the time, I took the silence as an opportunity to go through the shots I took throughout the day and to edit amidst the light rain on the window. Looking on, I glanced at the jellyfish tank behind the bar that seemed to entrance a couple who came in shortly after me and watched with amusement as they debated whether or not the jellyfish were real. After betting with the full tab of dinner as the stakes, the Midwestern woman giggled with glee as she was proven right upon confirmation with the server - while once filled with live jellyfish, the cost to maintain the tank had become too high for the establishment to keep them. They compromised with life-like jellyfish to entertain, and they were good at their job for sure. After finishing my martinis and a beer local to New Zealand, I opted to walk Capital Hill back to the condo and to finish the night with my photos to edit and this story to tell.
Nightcap.
Suffice it to say, I had a lot of incredible experiences today. Given the meat of this post, I may opt for a few simple shots I've taken in place of a chapter-by-chapter capture of my day tomorrow. Meeting new people has always been one of my favorite things, and today gave me all of that and more. I'm so happy to share these experiences with all of you, and I hope you're enjoying my trip with me so far! There's more to come, and I'm looking forward to showing you the world through my lens.
Seriously. Today was a great day, you guys.
[hashtag//blessed]
- Shaka
