Second Go Round

Waking up to a slight hangover after a fun night out is easily dealt with when in a city you love.

The trip so far has reacquainted me with two cities I feel that way about, Seattle was a quick go round for me, but still very cool. I remembered the hills there but I don’t know that my legs did. Wandering towards a destination, and taking in the sights as you go, is a great way to spend time, this is also where Google Maps comes in quite handy.

I was told to go to Top Pot Doughnuts, and I surveyed the area to see what else I could do around there.

The staff there are very friendly, and willing to joke with out of towner as he decides what he wants. A maple glazed old fashioned, a glazed chocolate old fashioned, and a cup of coffee.

I was impressed with the doughnuts, and knew that the sugar rush and caffeine buzz would get me through the day. When I was throwing my trash away, I thought it cool that basically everything was compostable, then I saw the picture of President Obama purchasing doughnuts from this very establishment. I always enjoy finding connections to someone I voted for, especially enjoyable connections like this.

So then I decided to go get some more shorts, and to wander a bit more. I can sometimes hate clothes shopping, but it wasn’t so bad in the city. Took a detour past the hotel, and then decided to explore by the water and go through Pike Place. I love seeing what is going on, even if it is the touristy area. That was one way I got to see a ton of Braves fans wandering around as well.

I recognized some things along my walk, but knew that the wheel was new.

You don’t just forget seeing something like that. It is progress, forward movement, evolution in action, and it is great to behold.

There is an energy I feel in a city, that I don’t always receive in my hometown. There, I must make sure I go out on my bike, or do something to push myself. Here, I can just walk from block a to block b, and I get it. I suppose one could argue it all comes from exercising and the like, but it is more than that.

There are buildings that are 30-40 times taller than anything in my hometown, yet I never feel claustrophobic when I walk amongst them. They may loom over some people, but I am not one of them. To me, a skyline is something to be marveled at, something to inspire, something that shows you what we can achieve, and I am a big fan of that.

I was wading through the crowds at Pike Place, when my friend Amanda got a hold of me and suggested a place to eat. Once again Google Maps was the savior, and after a bit more browsing, I made for 13 Coins. I figured she would know a good place, and I was not disappointed at all. I had my first ever Monte Christo, and one of the guys working there was randomly from Montana. It is a small world we live in, even when we see how big it is.

Amanda and I always have great conversations when we get to catch up with each other. We can talk about shared stories, high school, college, the present, the future, and it makes the time fly by. We walked, we sat at a patio and had a couple beers, we randomly brought into conversation, the Vancouverite that sat next to us, and we walked some more before she dropped me off.

I had a bit of a buzz, so I went looking for a bar nearby. The one I found, wound up having me sit by a group of Braves fans. They were down from Alaska for the games, and we had a good talk about our frustrations and hopes for the team. One beer in, and the bar closed, but that was okay, because I needed to get back to the hotel and get to sleep, there were big things in the future.

Wednesday morning was big, because my friend Rochele and her sister were coming down to see the Braves game, and then give me a ride to Vancouver. Having never actually met Rochele, but always feeling like I had, made it fun to look forward to, and didn’t have any of the nerves attached that it could have.

They arrived, I did a happy dance, went down and greeted them, and then got my bags. Leaving them at the hotel was nice, so we could go wander for a snack and then make our way to Safeco Field. It was hot in the sun, my team lost, but it was a great day. It is hard to hate a day that has baseball and great company in it.

Especially when this is your view.

Road trips are always a good idea, especially when making your way to a place that you really miss. There was an unfortunate migraine incident that slowed down the conversation, but once that had passed, we were back on track, and firmly in Canada. A pit stop and then I was being driven to my hotel.

As we neared the downtown area, I started seeing things, places, and streets I remembered. I saw the part of Hastings that I knew to avoid at night, I saw lights and sights I seared into my memory two years ago. I said goodbye to Blue, and made my way inside my home for the next twelve days.

The desk clerk looked up my reservation and said, “Oh, you’re with us for a WHILE”. I laughed and agreed, then made my way to the tenth floor. It felt good to relax, but I figured I should eat, and I remembered my favorite poutine place was just a block away. I would have to hit an ATM to get some colorful bills, but the decision was made and I headed towards Fritz.

Where I got a jumbo regular poutine. It had been two years, I deserved a larger size of that fry, gravy, and cheese curd goodness.

Isn’t it beautiful? It was possibly better than I remember it being, but definitely magic from start to finish. I don’t know why this hasn’t become popular in America, but I am so glad I can come up here for it!

I sat back on the couch in my room, smiling to myself. I was, and am, happy. Happy to have had one of my favorite foods again, happy to be in this city, and happy to have had time with a great friend. I knew I had about twelve days ahead of me to fill up, and that I had people that wanted to help me do that.

It has been a great trip, and I still have a week to go. I am so damn happy I decided to take two weeks off, this is what I needed, and allows me to see pretty much everyone I want to see.

I have to go back out there now, don’t wait up, but you will catch up with me later.