Trying to avoid quoting John Denver lyrics.

Some of my favorite travel related lyrics come from a Jump Little Children song, recently covered by Joan Osbourne.

In the cathedrals of New York and Rome
There is a feeling that you should just go home
And spend a lifetime finding out just where that is

First, let me start by saying, I'm not a lyrics girl. I can anticipate melodies and harmonies, but it is entirely possible that I have heard a song a bazillion times and have no idea what the song is about. So when I actually hear lyrics, and they mean something to me, they stick. They find a place deep inside of me that's hard to get to and they don't leave.

There are lots of travel songs out there, but this defines what travel is all about to me. About finding yourself, and figuring out what home really means. I call Seattle home and I'm deeply in love with my city. But to see the world is to see home with added perspective. To see yourself through a worldview. To get out of yourself, your routines, your ruts, and discover new layers.

Ok, I admit it. In the last several years, I've gotten a little addicted to "voluntourism." Service projects. Taking my own vacation time and money to pay and spend time in a place where I'm volunteering. Tonight I leave for two weeks in Thailand.

My addiction enabler is Seattle Works. I've been passionately involved with this organization for the past 4 years or so, participating in just about every program they've offered and even receiving their SWVOTY award in 2007.  I participated in their first week long service trip to Biloxi, Mississippi in early 2007. I met some amazing people. Most I have kept in fairly close contact with over the years. It's a pretty special connection you get traveling and volunteering with a group of like-minded folks.

I went back two more times. Each trip exposed me to more of a city I absolutely fell in love with. And I connected with even more wonderfully amazing people from Seattle. NOLA has a solid place in my heart. And the people I've traveled with on these trips are some of the people I am most honored to know and consider friends.

But I told myself after my third trip that I needed to get out of the US and do some more international travel. I was super tempted by Seattle Works' first partnership with Crooked Trails. They went to Peru a year ago. I wasn't able to make that one happen (I was moving into my new condo and figuring out how a mortgage works!), but some dear friends and people I had traveled with before did go. And they all had nothing but wonderful things to say about their experiences.

So, when I heard about a trip to Thailand, one of many countries on my list of places I'd love to visit and haven't yet, I was stoked. Even though it seemed like I couldn't afford it, and I would *barely* have enough vacation time saved up, I made it happen. I watched airfare prices drop. I made my deposit. And now, tonight at about midnight, I'm leaving on my Next Adventure.

I'll be traveling with 8 other folks from Seattle and a guide from Crooked Trails. I have traveled with 3 of these people before - Jan and Kevin on my first trip to the Gulf Coast post-Katrina and Nora, who I met on my last trip down to NOLA. Our super simplified itinerary is as follows:

Nov 14 - Arrive Bangkok (I'm actually getting in a day earlier)

Nov 15 - Fly to Phuket and go to Andaman Discoveries office in Kuraburi

Nov 16-18 - Work at Burmese Learning Center school grounds

Nov 19 - Burmese Learning Center until lunch and then to Tung Dap

Nov 20 - Mangrove restoration in Tung Dap

Nov 21 - Tung Dap, Kuraburi,  Phuket; Bangkok

Nov 22 - Explore Bangkok

Nov 23 - Bike Riding on Koh Kret, back to Bangkok

Nov 24 - Ayutthaya (History)

Nov 25 - Go Home!

Lows will be in the 70s and highs just under 100.

I don't plan on actually blogging while I'm there, but I do plan on keeping good notes/journaling and then transferring some of that, with highlighted pictures and reflection after I get back.

I have gotten a really great vibe from this group at our pre-trip meetings. I am really excited to get to know my fellow travelers, stay in our homestays, take tons of pictures, and come back home, being just a little closer to finding out just where that is.

Typical.

I was posting a bit there for awhile, wasn't I? Then life happened. You know how it goes. Insert cliche "acknowledgment I haven't written in awhile" monologue here.

I was driving north on Aurora the other day, through that no man's land between SLU and the Queen Anne exit from hell. (You know, the one right before the bridge with 5 stops that takes half an hour to get through when traffic is bad?) I looked up and noticed a squirrel crossing a wire.

Sure, there's a pedestrian bridge that takes you from Westlake Ave to Taylor. It isn't used very much. People sleep on it. But I don't see a lot of commuter pedestrians utilizing it.

I was envying that little squirrel. For that moment anyway. To be able to cross 99 quickly and efficiently, with a great view to boot.

I had just experienced the strange phenomenon where Aurora is backed up and the bottle neck of I5 was backed up and so I opted for 4th Ave northbound through downtown. And it was clear. Open. Easy to navigate. Lights synchronized beautifully.

If Seattle wants to be super progressive, we should offer ziplines over busy streets. I get that pedestrian overpasses are cost prohibitive, but you can't tell me a zipline is going to break the bank. You just need a little height on both sides. And good, strong rope. And healthy individuals who want just a tiny adrenaline rush while crossing the street. I'd zip over busy streets every day if I could! Think of the arm strength you'd build.

Poetic wax.

Moving along and totally switching gears, I was quite inspired by the concept of the Moth that we ran into last night. Such serendipity. We had just finished having amazing beer at Two Beers Brewery's First Annual Harvest Party. We decided to go get pizza at Stellar, but they couldn't accommodate our large group. So we mozied to Calamity Jane's. We were asked if we were part of the moth group.

Ummmm.

Sure?

Ok, so we weren't and we told them we weren't, but we did decide to stay to see people get up and tell a 5 minute story. This sort of thing is right up my alley. Connecting with community. A few of us put our names in. Not too many people did. So those of us brave enough to get up did.

First, there's the interpretation of a theme. I heard "busted" and was ready to tell a story from junior high. Note found. Grounded. Didn't get to do Ski Club.

This was a common interpretation. Then a friend in our group suggested I tell the story of me busting my teeth. Busted! I like it! But how on earth would I turn a moment of me being incredibly klutzy into a 5 minute speech to a bunch of strangers.

With a little liquid confidence and attention to detail. That's how.

I was one of the first people called up and I managed to get fairly detailed. Who was there. Where we were. Recalling details like my urge, while in shock, to call 911 and Annika's level-headed advice that we take a cab. Since it was after a Mariner's game and there were about 100 cabs within a block of us.

There were details I didn't mention, like the fact that people walked by us, but no one asked if they could help. I talked about stitches, but left out how happy I was that the scarring is basically non-existent, except for a slightly lighter discoloration on my bottom lip that only shows up in summer when my lips see a lot of sun. I did manage to mention making the most of the situation and being a toothless hill billy for Halloween while this was all going on. Just took my flipper out and went toothless for the night.

All in all, telling this story was a good experience. And it was fantastic hearing friends and strangers share their own stories.

Of course, it got me thinking. How feasible is this as a social activity? A quick little evite, a time, a location, drinks, snacks - and a desire to connect with people in an atypical (in our culture), yet incredibly natural and human way.

I took a storytelling class in college. Part of my communications-journalism degree. I've always loved a good story. I love being in that moment socially, where the atmosphere is right, and everyone's in the right mood, and everyone can hear everyone else and the stories start. Pick a topic. Any topic. Taking turns. Telling stories. It happens by chance and I love the idea of it happening intentionally. A way to connect, to interpret. A conduit for laughter. Lots and lots of laughter.

Yeah, so that's been on my mind today.

And the Sounders lost. What a season. I am so honored to have been a part of it all. While I obviously wanted them to go further, at least I won't be missing them take the MLS cup. But I will be there when they take it.

I'll be missing this year's MLS Cup because I'll be in Thailand! Leaving Wednesday night. Exciting stuff. More on that, of course, after I get back.

Themes.

I was talking to someone recently about how often people in book clubs don't read the book. It's true. So she is in a short story club, and I kind of like that idea. And I've thought a film club could be fun. Then is dawned on me.

I like the idea of a themed discussion club. Pick a theme a month and read a set of articles, see a documentary, etc on theme. Then discuss. War, Food, Homelessness, Community, Local Politics, Transportation Issues, China, Sudan, Religion, Drug Addiction, Eating Disorders, Love, Current Events, Art, Roller Derby, etc.

These topics come up anyway, but they often feel like heavy topics for social discourse. Do the people at this table really want to be talking about _______? But having intentional discussions with people from varied perspectives would give permission to bring these topics up.

Same concept as a book club. Get together. Discuss. But maybe one night everyone gathered has watched the same documentary, looked at the same set of photos of art, read the same relevant articles.

Anyway, I'm letting the idea brew but wanted to write it down.

Celebration

On Sunday evening, I had the honor of hosting a small birthday celebration for a dear friend of mine.

It started with fresh veggies and dip.



And a bottle of prosecco.



The main event was, but of course, macaroni and cheese. Made by none other than VoraciousGirl herself.





It was delicious. Note: This was just the first serving. We all went back for seconds.

Lorraine sprinkled a delightful salt from Secret Stash Sea Salts on the mac 'n' cheese.



Then we quartered and shared four lovely cupcakes from Trophy that Nora picked up.





It was not hard to eat them all.

The Woodland Park Zoo

I took my Little Sister to the zoo on Friday. I've been wanting to go all summer, and with the impending seasonal change (it is fall now, isn't it?) the timing was perfect. The weather was ideal.

I picked her up after school and we went and got some bubble tea. Boy does she love her bubble tea! But then, as an occasional treat, so do I. I had lavender with tapioca. She had vanilla with tapioca.

We got to the zoo at about 5:00. I was a little worried that they'd be closing soon and we wouldn't be able to see everything. On the contrary, it was perfect timing. They let people in until 6:00, but you don't have to leave the grounds until 7. Two hours turned out to be just enough time to do one quick lap around the zoo.

I know there are often free tickets circulating for the zoo. They have a $2 off coupon pretty much all of the time. But, it turns out, they were offering $4 off on Fridays after 4:00 pm. Fun!

I have a few favorite photos from the zoo.

This baby gorilla put on quite a show for us. The angle was hard to shoot, but you can just tell he was adorable, right?



I remember when the flamingo campaign started. I actually thought it was for Dexter. It wasn't until I looked it up online that I realized I was seeing pink splatter.

Anyway, they were, indeed, quite pink.





Isn't this little guy cute?



We became fast friends with some emus.





This bear kept us entertained for awhile. Check out those teeth!



Look at his grin. Much less threatening when the teeth aren't showing!



We didn't get a chance to see the baby snow leopards, and quite a few of the animals were asleep. But it was totally worth it going on a Friday afternoon. No crowds. Few people in general. No waits. Just us and the animals.

Although this guy made me sad...



He was looking at us, looking at him.

St Germain Chapagne Lemon Rosemary Sorbet

Last Sunday, my dear friend Lorraine invited me to a boozy desserts party. Unfortunately, I overextended myself the day before and was too exhausted to be social. So, even though I had spent Friday making my mixture for the dessert I had planned to contribute, I bailed.

I recently bought a bottle of St. Germain. If you haven't tried it, I can't recommend it enough. Most liqueurs are too sweet for me, but St Germain mixed with a little sparkling water and a squeeze of lemon is just delightful. If you like subtle hints of flowery flavors, then you very well might fall in love with the elderflower taste of St Germain.

There aren't a lot of recipes on the internet that include St Germain, so I searched for some with limoncello. I found many results similar to this, which inspired my recipe.



I decided a little additional herb would be nice, so I picked just a little bit of fresh rosemary from our community herb garden at my condo.



I put sugar, water, rosemary, and lemon zest into my simple syrup.



Then I juiced lemons.



I strained the lemon juice and the simple syrup and added champagne and St Germain. I love that those two beverages rhyme. The sound lovely together and taste lovely together.

I chilled the concoction and then began the freezing process in my ice cream maker. I added 2 egg whites to make it creamy. I put it in this container to let it freeze harder.



Served in a small dish and garnished with a little rosemary, this would make a lovely pallet cleanser. Or just a refreshing dessert.

Repost and some new thoughts on Fall

It's been strange transitioning into fall with this bizarre warm weather. This is also my first fall transition in my new condo/'hood. For my 5 years in the Queen Anne house, I marked changes in the season from spring into summer, and then summer into fall with the opening and closing of a window.

I lived on the top floor of an old house, facing west. In the winter, it would get frigid. Even if I wanted fresh air, I couldn't bare opening the window. Summer, in contrast, meant my room was a good 10-20 degrees hotter than the rest of the house. It was awful. Window open, blinds shut for the duration of the summer months. Staying up late in the living room, waiting until I was super tired to ascend into the oven that was my room.

I have noticed conversations about changing seasons. People are getting their pumpkin spice lattes, but the weather has still been in the 80s! I know I'm not the only one a little out of sorts. I'm noticing the sun setting a little earlier. There's a chill in the evenings that wasn't there a few weeks ago. But the leaves still look pretty darn green.

This morning I woke up to gray skies and a chill that wasn't there a few weeks ago. The marine layer burned off, but it's a sign of things to come.

I'm saying good-bye to flip-flops and sandals. Good-bye to being able to leave my jacket at home. Good-bye to iced beverages.

I'm saying hello to layers, sweaters, boots, corduroy, plaid and lots and lots of wool.

Ok. I guess that's being a little dramatic. The beautiful thing about living in Seattle is... it's mild. We usually don't get too hot. And we usually don't get too cold. Which is why we freak out and complain when it snows or gets above 100 degrees. Actually, we complain when it merely frosts and gets above a breezy 75 degrees.

I saw some ad on TV in the last couple days where there's a guy standing in Seattle with the Space Needle in the back drop. And there's rain. But it looks fake. Because it's POURING. That's something that always gets me in movies, TV shows, etc set in Seattle. It really rarely pours here. We get less rain than many other major cities. Our annual total averages 37.1 inches per year. New York gets 46.2 inches. But, we get more cloudy days. 201 per year for us vs. 152 per year in New York.

We get the drizzle. The gray. And the drizzle.

Alas. I'll be breaking out my slippers when my concrete floors become too cold for my bare feet in the morning. I'll be wearing my REI rain jacket, with the hood up, as I walk to work. I might even bust out an umbrella on occasion, but that's not what real Seattleites do. I am looking forward to curling up more with good books. Cooking more soups and stews. Drinking more porters, stouts and red wine. Baking more. And going to the gym more! I mean, come on, what else am I gonna do when it starts getting dark at 5?

I can't wait to take my Little Sister to a pumpkin patch. To run around in a corn maze and get our shoes muddy.

And now... some reflection.

from September 19, 2007:
Signs of Fall
I saw my first leaf fall a few weeks ago. But I ignored it. Last week was still lovely.

But today I'm wearing a sweater for the third day in a row.

I almost closed my bedroom window this morning. As I've said before, I open it sometime in May and leave it open for the entire summer.

Buffalo Bill's Pumpkin Ale is being featured at Whole Foods today.

I'm enjoying an amazing Blackberry Cider. (Not hard cider, silly)

And on that note, a poem I wrote a few years ago about the fall...

Autumn

With a harsh wind, but a gentle rustle, Autumn permits us to recoil into a courtship with comfort. She paints warm colors to help us transition into the death of winter. She allows us to build fires and turn the thermostat up a few notches. She is the school teacher in a denim jumper over a rainbow-striped shirt. She wears wool knee socks and sweater vests with atrocious patterns. She allows us to go to bed early and wear over-sized fleece sweats. She encourages us to wrap up in a down blanket and read a good book, or watch bad television. She is gracious as she dries the leaves and she is sweet in her thunderstorms. She raises our necklines, and layers us in casseroles and pot roasts and stew. She blows the whistle at recess, while we kick mud. She bakes brownies and chocolate chip cookies and apple crisp.



-Noelle, October 1, 2005