Life as we know it
Grant and I had a couple of visitors this month: his mom and sister Grace, then my friend Lisa. We did a lot of the same things with them such as the Fremont vintage mall, Pike’s Place and the waterfront.
With Lisa, we saw The Gaslight Anthem live. Funny enough, we met online close to a decade ago and in 2018 when they announced a special tour in the UK, I half-jokingly invited her over from where she living in Salt Lake City at the time. To my surprise, she took me up on it and our first time meeting in person was her visiting me in Brighton for a week, it was so much fun! We now live much closer together and I visited her on my Montana trip back in May. I was happy to host her again for another Gaslight Anthem show. They had a great set and the lead singer Brian was a bit of a chatter box between songs, but we both had an amazing time! I hope that as long as they’re playing live we can make it a thing to meet up, wherever we are in the world.
In addition to the show, Pike’s Place, Fremont Oktoberfest, pub quiz, bookstores and the vintage mall, we went to Gasworks Park for the view of the skyline…
… Montana bar in Capitol Hill so Lisa could have a little taste of home (or at least what Seattle thinks a Montana dive bar would look like)…
… and finally the Seattle Center for the Space Needle and Chihuly Glass Gardens. Lisa wanted to go to an art museum and what better than this iconic local artist?
Between visits, I went home to Tucson for a funeral of my best friend Sydney’s dad who passed away suddenly. It was a beautiful service and I’m glad I could be there for her. Although the circumstances of my visit were sad, it was nice to see my family (including my dog Bailey who turned 13 while I was there!) and friends.
The last weekend of the month was Sydney’s bachelorette party in San Diego! I stayed with family which gave me a much appreciate recharge from the busy days we had. The first day, we had brunch at Morning Glory, a cute spot with tasty food but be prepared to wait an hour or two. We headed back to the AirBnB on the north end of Mission Beach for a beach day before what was probably my favorite part of the trip: grabbing some pizzas before returning to a beach where a local company set out a fire, chairs, tiki torches and s’mores fixings to share with the boys of the bachelor party. The next day, we had breakfast at the AirBnB before renting electric scooters to the south end of Mission to go to Belmont Park where we rode the historic coaster and had some snacks! We went to Cannonball for sushi above the boardwalk before getting ready for a big night out. We all had different color neon outfits and shake-and-go wigs to match with Sydney in white to show off at Maverick’s. I had an early flight the next day so I turned in early, but it was so great to meet/reacquaint myself with the whole wedding party, it got me all the more excited for the wedding at the end of October!
Phew, what a way to end summer. I’m looking forward to not traveling much for the next few months, I’m quite burnt out from this month!
To nobody’s surprise, I got some new jobs. With the kids going back to school and no after-class programs, my time at the science day-care has come to an end. So after the mad scramble and a few interviews, I landed as a server at a family-owned bar and an innkeeper at a small hotel. I’m always moving as a server but between the higher server minimum wage and tips, it’s great money. And as for the inn, it’s a nice place and pretty easy gig, I was sold on the job when they said I can read in my down time!
September in Review 2016 || September in Review 2017 || September in Review 2018
September in Review 2019 || September in Review 2020 || September in Review 2021
Books and media
What I’ve been listening to: Explicit by Wargasm, Plastic Cough by Great Grandpa, Pre Pleasure by Julia Jacklin
What I’ve been reading: The Intersectional Environmentalist by Leah Thomas, Everything You Ever Wanted by Luiza Sauma, Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, The Carbon Footprint of Everything by Mike Berners-Lee, The Bell Jar by Slyvia Plath, Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy, Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
What I’ve been watching: Nathan for You (seasons 3-4), The Rehearsal
Favorite blog posts
10 best things to do in Reykjavik || Best places to see in Death Valley || 10 things to do in Tokyo || 10 things to do in Melbourne || 10 things to do in Sydney || One week living on a narrowboat || 40 best things to do in Palm Springs || Easy vegan Oreo tiramisu || Vegan blueberry Crumbl cookies || 15 of the best puzzles I’ve done || 20 best air fryer recipes || Dia De Muertos in Morelia and Pátzcuaro, Mexico