Oh my gosh! We had a great time in Seattle – we were lucky enough to be staying with one of Ben’s good friends from college, Rachel (I do also consider her my friend), which was really fantastic because she was able to give us a little bit of an inside scoop, and she was really good company.
We got to the city on Wednesday night and then left on Saturday, so we had a lot of time (though not enough) to explore. We did the Underground Tour on Thursday and it was awesome – the tour guide had some good one-liners, though it was completely scripted, and it was really interesting to learn how the city was built. We also explored different areas in downtown Seattle including Pike Place Market, a magnificent toy store and delicious coffee. The market made me want to be able to shop there every day for my groceries – the produce was beautiful and meat and fish counters amazing!
So, let’s also talk about the whole coffee thing. I’ve met some people from Seattle who are really big coffee snobs… like, they whine constantly about not having Seattle coffee. Well, I’m not sure I’m that big of a believer, but I did have the best mocha of my life. I got it at Seattle Coffee Works and it was like sipping chocolate cake. You should be very jealous, and just to seal the deal, here is a picture of it: 
For the most part, we just kind of explored – we also ate a lot of awesome food and had some good drinks. Check out these mondo PBRs that Rachel and I had (that’s Ben’s beer in the middle) – we were definitely expecting regular tallboys and then got those instead. I also got in a little bit of family time, which continues to add something very special to this journey. My Aunt Boston (my dad’s youngest step-sister) lives just north of Seattle with her family. We went over for brunch on Saturday morning – Boston made delicious eggs, bacon, sausage and pancakes and we just sat and talked and enjoyed each other’s company for a few hours… it was wonderful!
And now, on an entirely separate note, with the risk of showing complete selfishness, I’d like to tell you all about a problem I have been facing - and feel free to judge me, leave your comments, etc. Here it is: It makes me very uncomfortable (and slightly angry) when people ask me for money on the street. I wish I could be more graceful about this! It is something that has plagued me for years, and I even try to give myself pep talks about feeling generous and about the fact that there are people who could genuinely use my help.
Well, trying to psych myself up for it hasn’t worked so far, and I think this is why: I actually really enjoy being generous and helping other people, but the spontaneous solicitation is hard for me. It really frustrates me when all of a sudden I am faced with guilt for not busting out my wallet and giving someone my cash, when really all I want to do is take a stroll down the sidewalk. Does anybody else feel this way? Does anybody have any insight to help me see past my discomfort? I want to be able to handle this common situation without feeling like I have to stare at my feet out of guilt as I walk past…
Anyway, that’s the story. Stay tuned, there is more to come!
