Mary Makes Stuff

Mary is a freelance graphic designer whose hobbies include making dinosaur, bug, and robot themed artwork. She let me follow her to a few of the Maker Market pop-ups she participates in. Then we had a chat about what she loves about Seattle, what she misses about her hometown of Cleveland, and how great wigs are at SUIKA Seattle.

Good food, good games, good times with Nicole

Nicole has been a friend of mine going on 6 years now, meeting through our love of games at Gamma Ray Games. She's such a fan of the hobby, she started a website with her boyfriend called Across the Board Games, which reviews the plethora of new games coming onto the market every day.
She took me on a perfect afternoon/evening tour of Capitol Hill, a tourists dream itinerary of food, museums, and relaxation.

A Streetcar from Capitol Hill to Pioneer Square, and Lunch

Seattle has taken its time getting transit, other than buses, built in the city. So it is with a, perhaps, surprising amount of joy that the first day of a new streetcar is greeted. Also, the train has been a local joke since it was supposed to open in 2014, so we've had more time than expected to anticipate the line.
I couldn't help but hop on on the first day and check out my new, convenient connection to parts of town that were previously quite difficult to get to, especially considering how close they were.

Brunch and a Walk

Kicking off the New Year with an American tradition of weekend brunch and a lazy walk. The weather cooperated beautifully this year, not a cloud in the sky, giving the air an intense, brisk quality. All the better to enjoy the spectacular views of the mountain ranges on the other side of Puget Sound.

Tequila

A day spent in the town that has given joy and sorrow to millions across the world, Tequila, Mexico.
Just a short hour drive west of Guadalajara, I would recommend a tour for those interested in visiting the area. Our hostel signed us up with "Guatequi Tur", full of interesting facts if you can understand Spanish or if you have a good translator with you.

Welcome to the tour

Our tour guide, Sr. Armando Ramírez León treated us well and can be contacted at asesorarmando@hotmail.com. Highly recommended!

Couchsurfing Día de Muertos Altar

The weekly Couchsurfing meetup took place at a home in the neighboring city of Zapopan. A couple of classmates and I took the 51D bus out to the suburbs to participate in the festivities.

Couchsurfing Potluck Dinner

Bernard (Bernie) responded to my Couchsurfing request to show me his city by inviting me to a Wednesday dinner at his place. Coming with the expectation of a few friends around a table, I should have known better growing up in a Mexican family where one person invites a friend, which snowballs into the dinner turning into a little party.

East of L.A.

The greater Los Angeles area is made up of many small cities with their own downtowns and cultural centers. I happen to have family living in one of the towns east of L.A. and spent Friday night and Saturday morning hanging out here.

Späti-crawl

Berlin has a thriving street culture, promoted in large part by the seeming lax attitude people have about acceptable behavior in public. There are no open container laws, people of all stripes can be seen enjoying an beer while walking down the sidewalk, and Spätkaufs are usually open 20-24 hours a day to grab a bite or drink.

Cafe Pettirosso

I moved back to Seattle in 2001 and have lived here ever since. I have lived in the Capitol Hill/First Hill neighborhoods for that entire time, save one year.

I have walked passed Cafe Pettirosso, opened in 2000, innumerable times, I have eaten at every food establishment around it, and even had a friend working there for about a year, yet never had I gone inside. I didn't purposefully avoid it, it was just one of those places that I just never get around to trying.

Until I did.

I reached out to a friend I hadn't talked to in a while and she said we should meet up at the Cafe, since it's become her regular place.

The small storefront hides a spacious interior. The pastries were so buttery and just sweet enough for my savory preferring tastes.
And so, even after 14 years, there are surprises to discover in my backyard.