Something I don't get to do very often is travel. I've been going to school what seems like my whole life and that usually takes most of my time. Earlier this year, my mom planned a trip to Seattle to visit my oldest brother for his and my grandmas birthday with the family and begged me to go. FINE, MOM. I paid for my ticket and we were just waiting for August to cruise by. What I didn't know was that we had planned this trip on the second week of school. Luckily my teachers were cool with it and just did work in advance. Then we took off for adventures!
Day One:
The first full day that we got there we took a train tour through the Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad. My dad is a huge fan of trains since his dad and grandfather worked with trains when he was a kid. He would always tell me his adventures of his railroad days, which sound pretty awesome.
The train stopped in the middle of i don't know where i was for the passengers to get off and see their rad museum. It was a small museum but they had some old engines and railroad tracks that looked bad ass.
After the train we stopped by a lake to take touristy pictures and to skip some stones.
I got up to four skips, mission accomplished.
Once we got home we celebrated my grandmas birthday. Happy 80th birthday grandmaaaaaa! Looking better than ever.
Day Two:
We took a two hour drive to a town called Anacortes to go hiking. Call it cheesy but going into a forest and hiking it has been on my bucket list for the longest time now. I am in love with nature that I just want to live in a cabin with zero neighbors for miles with my bearded husband (I'm not really married, but I can dream of a lumberjack man, right?).
"TODAY MY WOODLAND FRIENDS WE RIDE INTO BATTLE WITH ARMS DRAWN, WE SHALL SHOW NO MERCY TO THE PAPER COMPANY!!! SOME MY BE TURNED INTO PAPER AND THOSE BARBARIANS WILL DRAW AND WRITE ON YOUR CORPSES BUT FEAR NOT FOR UNITED WE WILL BE THE ONES DOING THE WRITING!!! FOR GRANDMA WILLOW!!!!!!" - My friend Alfonso when I showed him this picture.
After visiting this epic forest with a beach, my family and I ended up going to some famous park. Such a fun day.
Day 3:
Took a tour through part of Microsoft. You see, the Microsoft headquarters is like a city of it's own. It seemed like it was never ending.
All Microsoft employees get drinks for free in the lunch area. If only they had milkshakes here, I would apply. Too bad they don't, their loss.
Afterwards, we went to see the Fremont Troll. What the website doesn't tell you is that before the Troll was there, it used to be a place where people would dump their trash and apparently a "haven" for drug dealers (drugs are bad...mmmmkay).
TROLLLLLL! TROLL IN THE DUNGEON! I stuck wand (it was really a stick) inside his nose just like the HP scene for all ya nerds. Little boy was a professional photo-bomber.
Kurt Cobain's house was next on the map. I wish I knew whoever lived inside (if anyone) so I could take a tour. But, let's leave the dreamin' aside and appreciate what is there.
Before my trip I looked into any shows that were going to be happening in the area. To my surprise, a few friends from back home were playing that night so I cruised on over to "El Corazon", a local venue, to snap some pictures. Betrayal & To Each His Own.
Day 4:
My family and I went to some outlets and to a casino that day. Nothing too crazy, but we celebrated my oldest brothers birthday after. Got him some pretty sweet gifts plus the coolest mug ever (not pictured).
Day 5:
I hung out with the infamous Connor Surdi for half the day. It was awesome to finally meet him. I had followed his work for the last few years back in my Flickr years and it's been awesome to see him grow as an artist. We played some N-64 and I got my ass kicked, I have lost touch with my old school roots, I'm so ashamed. He had a shoot that day so I stuck around, helped out a bit and saw him in action. We went to this delicious place called MOD Pizza after and it definitely got the "Ana B Stamp of Approval" for delicious pizzas in Washington. Oh yeah, Connor also said that I sound Canadian. Crazy, eh?
Day 6:
More shopping! When my grandma, my aunt, and the rest of my family are together, it turns into a shopping spree. I usually just kick back and watch them or try things on I know I'm not gonna buy. BUT, we went to target and I just HAD to buy these. If you know me, you know that I couldn't pass this up. I love anything that has to do with mugs, cups, kitchen, woman things that are geeky and awesome. I also bought a sweet shirt from the little boys section (the usual).
My friend Enrique was in town for PAX and he invited me to hang out. WHY NOT?! I love some geeky fun.
Day 8:
It was a relaxing day. Went to church to praise the almighty Jesus Christ and went to another forest.
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Took another mini tour of Microsoft because my mom and grandma didn't go the first time. After that, we were supposed to go home and eat before heading to the airport but I've been wanting to go to a comic book place and my brother being the awesome brother that he is, took me. My mom was mad and told me to hurry up but inside I was like, MOM, YOU CAN'T RUSH COMIC BOOK STORE SHOPPING, GOSH! And because I know you'll probably read this (Omg my mom reads my blog! Such an honor.) I wasn't really yelling. I was gonna buy a Deadpool and Teen Titans cups but they weren't going to fit in my luggage.I ended up buying these sweeeeeet chopsticks. Such a good buy.
Then we finally went home, ate and headed to the airport. My mini vacation was pretty awesome and so thankful I got to spend it with my amazing family. If I got a job offer in Seattle, I would move there in a heartbeat. Thanks again to my brother and his wife Viri for letting us stay with them and cause chaos. You both rule. And so do Megg and Oli!
.JPG)
The first full day that we got there we took a train tour through the Mt. Rainier Scenic Railroad. My dad is a huge fan of trains since his dad and grandfather worked with trains when he was a kid. He would always tell me his adventures of his railroad days, which sound pretty awesome.
The train stopped in the middle of i don't know where i was for the passengers to get off and see their rad museum. It was a small museum but they had some old engines and railroad tracks that looked bad ass.
After the train we stopped by a lake to take touristy pictures and to skip some stones.
I got up to four skips, mission accomplished.
Once we got home we celebrated my grandmas birthday. Happy 80th birthday grandmaaaaaa! Looking better than ever.
Day Two:
We took a two hour drive to a town called Anacortes to go hiking. Call it cheesy but going into a forest and hiking it has been on my bucket list for the longest time now. I am in love with nature that I just want to live in a cabin with zero neighbors for miles with my bearded husband (I'm not really married, but I can dream of a lumberjack man, right?).
After visiting this epic forest with a beach, my family and I ended up going to some famous park. Such a fun day.
Day 3:
Took a tour through part of Microsoft. You see, the Microsoft headquarters is like a city of it's own. It seemed like it was never ending.
Age of Empires, aka my childhood.
They make the x-box in this building. ^ AWWW YEAAAH!
Dawww, s'cute!
Afterwards, we went to see the Fremont Troll. What the website doesn't tell you is that before the Troll was there, it used to be a place where people would dump their trash and apparently a "haven" for drug dealers (drugs are bad...mmmmkay).
Kurt Cobain's house was next on the map. I wish I knew whoever lived inside (if anyone) so I could take a tour. But, let's leave the dreamin' aside and appreciate what is there.
Payed a visit to Bruce and Brandon Lee. Legends.
Before my trip I looked into any shows that were going to be happening in the area. To my surprise, a few friends from back home were playing that night so I cruised on over to "El Corazon", a local venue, to snap some pictures. Betrayal & To Each His Own.
To Each His Own
Betrayal
Day 4:
My family and I went to some outlets and to a casino that day. Nothing too crazy, but we celebrated my oldest brothers birthday after. Got him some pretty sweet gifts plus the coolest mug ever (not pictured).
Day 5:
I hung out with the infamous Connor Surdi for half the day. It was awesome to finally meet him. I had followed his work for the last few years back in my Flickr years and it's been awesome to see him grow as an artist. We played some N-64 and I got my ass kicked, I have lost touch with my old school roots, I'm so ashamed. He had a shoot that day so I stuck around, helped out a bit and saw him in action. We went to this delicious place called MOD Pizza after and it definitely got the "Ana B Stamp of Approval" for delicious pizzas in Washington. Oh yeah, Connor also said that I sound Canadian. Crazy, eh?
Day 6:
More shopping! When my grandma, my aunt, and the rest of my family are together, it turns into a shopping spree. I usually just kick back and watch them or try things on I know I'm not gonna buy. BUT, we went to target and I just HAD to buy these. If you know me, you know that I couldn't pass this up. I love anything that has to do with mugs, cups, kitchen, woman things that are geeky and awesome. I also bought a sweet shirt from the little boys section (the usual).
Day 7:
The fam and I went to Pike Pl. to see what all the fuss was about. They had lots of really talented people there. We HAD to go to the gum wall. Probably my favorite thing there.
Left my business cards there because, thug life.
My friend Enrique was in town for PAX and he invited me to hang out. WHY NOT?! I love some geeky fun.
The first 5 minutes of being there, I ran into this awesome cosplay Joker, aka Harleys Joker, aka Anthony Misiano. I follow him on Facebook so I was SUPER stoked, even if you can't tell by my face.
Moves like Jagger.
I ALSO follow Long Vo on Instagram. He's a bad ass artist among other awesome things. This one time he had a contest on his insta asking only girls what their favorite video game of all time was, the first to answer was going to be on his new game, ShaqDown. I took a chance and answered with Ocarina of Time and SURPRISE, I was the first to comment. I finally met him after not being able to find him at San Diego Comic Con and we had to take a picture together. Go follow what he does because it rules.
Do you even LOL, bro?!
Thanks again Enrique! Still bummed we didn't take a freakin picture together.
After geeking out on everything there, I stopped by El Corazon for a second time that week to see some more friends. I met up with my friend Joey from a band called Monsters Scare You and hung out, caught up since I hadn't seen him in about two years or so. I also met a band called A Midnight Drive. Probably the nicest dudes ever.
A Midnight Drive
Monsters Scare You
Day 8:
It was a relaxing day. Went to church to praise the almighty Jesus Christ and went to another forest.
Day 9:
Space Needle, EMP Museum and restaurant grubbin' on my last full day there. The Space Needle was aight. I'll let you in on a little secret, I'm kind of scared of heights. Kind of. Not a big fan of crazy roller coasters because of that. But I put on my big girl pants and roll with the punches. It wasn't "aight" because of the height, you just pay $20 or something just to see Seattle from way up high. It's a cool thing to do and check off your bucket list but you should rather go to the EMP Museum. HOLY COW IT IS AMAZING. I left that place feeling inspired and with my mind filled with bazillions of ideas for photography and film. I left the place thinking that I could go on tour with Lady Gaga and capture some amazing tour moments and have my images up in a museum. Yes, I'm a Lady Gaga fan. Deal with it, yo. Now THAT (EMP Museum) should be on your bucket list. They had things from sci-fi movies and tv shows, to a HORROR EXHIBIT (if you know me well, you know how much I loved it), Nirvana, some of the most iconic women in music and so much more.
Annie Leibovitz took that picture hanging on the wall. So awesome. ^
Day 10 aka The Final Countdown (last day/hours in Seattle):
Took another mini tour of Microsoft because my mom and grandma didn't go the first time. After that, we were supposed to go home and eat before heading to the airport but I've been wanting to go to a comic book place and my brother being the awesome brother that he is, took me. My mom was mad and told me to hurry up but inside I was like, MOM, YOU CAN'T RUSH COMIC BOOK STORE SHOPPING, GOSH! And because I know you'll probably read this (Omg my mom reads my blog! Such an honor.) I wasn't really yelling. I was gonna buy a Deadpool and Teen Titans cups but they weren't going to fit in my luggage.I ended up buying these sweeeeeet chopsticks. Such a good buy.
Gamer grandma, what's up.
Then we finally went home, ate and headed to the airport. My mini vacation was pretty awesome and so thankful I got to spend it with my amazing family. If I got a job offer in Seattle, I would move there in a heartbeat. Thanks again to my brother and his wife Viri for letting us stay with them and cause chaos. You both rule. And so do Megg and Oli!
Until next time Seattle, I will be back soon.
