{seattle, washington photo journal}

I initially drafted this post on February 20, 2016. A year later, I'm finally putting the finishing touches on it to be published. For reference, this trip was back in October of 2015. Better late than never, right?

Oddfellows Cafe & Bar.

Meat market.

French onion soup.

Ploughman's lunch.

I have this thing for beautiful, floor-to-ceiling windowed restaurants. Thank you, Oddfellows.

Christina & ice cream make me happy!

Wild Honey & Balsamic Strawberry.

Fresh waffle cones in the making.

Nothing makes me happier than an ice cream shop with a French Bulldog as its little mascot. Fun fact: I purchased a bulldog pin for my camera, but lost the camera later. No big deal, just means I need to head back to Seattle and pick up another one. I'll be back for you, Molly Moon's.

Gum Wall before they power-washed it.

Presenting my contribution.

The Gum Wall was honestly one of the most disgusting things I have ever seen, with cigarette butts and business cards galore. I still had to contribute to the faint minty smell of the alleyway. Though it was powerwashed shortly after our visit, it didn't stop people from re-christening the wall.

Pike Place Market!

Fresh fruits.

Some of the sweetest mango I've ever had.

See some seafood s'here.

Pike Place Market: loud and crazy, like me. I loved getting lost in the hustle of the market, hopping from vendor to vendor and seeing what they had to offer. Christina bought the most delicious hazelnuts from PPM, and I have dreams about them sometimes.

OG Starbucks.

2 Earl Grey lattes, please.

Basiqué or not, for tourism sake, we had to come to the original Starbucks. A friend from my freshman year in college said the only Starbucks that makes a good Earl Grey Latte is the original location, so heeding his advice, that's exactly what we got. It did not disappoint.

Seattle Public Library.

CenturyLink field for Seattle Sounders game!

Toulouse Petit Kitchen & Lounge.

From the Space Needle.

This juxtaposition makes me insanely happy.

Chihuly Garden & Glass.

A lot of things have changed since this trip, specifically my outlook on holding onto grudges and resentment. It's easy to let trivial things shadow the bigger picture, but I'm learning to take a step back to really assess what's really important when it matters. In order to move forward, letting go is the hardest, which makes it that much more liberating when you muster up the courage to take that step. As a result, I'm happier, and I feel like a great burden has been brushed off my shoulders. What's the point when your energy is better spent on things other, more important things?

Holding onto anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.

{be kind, 2017}

Phew, 2016. You really did a number on the world this year. From all the tragedies across the globe to beloved celebrity deaths, you were simply ruthless, torpedoing through all of our hearts as the days, weeks, and months went by as we wondered, "when the fuck is 2016 going to end?"

Source: a meme account, all of them, because they all steal from each other anyway.

But despite the whirlwind of negative media, 2016 was a great year of personal growth. I think I finally learned the true meanings of friendship through the people I'm happy to call my second family (#NoNewFriends), and I mustered up the courage to do something for my own sake.

2016 was a year of adventure, both physically and emotionally. While I found myself in Europe for the second time ever, more importantly, I learned the everlasting importance of female friendships. I admittedly used to pride myself with the fact that I had more male friends (lol, what a frickin' LOSER), but there was always something lacking, something that you can only understand over bottles of wine over pizza or a night of facemasking with a group of gal pals. I also realized how much love others had for me, even at my ugliest times. If that ain't love, I don't know what is, because trust, my ugly is ugly. Coming to this realization was also extremely humbling and has give me a lot to reflect on for the upcoming year.

I've also realized how ugly others can be this year. I'll leave that with this: don't invest time in people who don't value your time.

Creatively, I failed this year. The flame from my ambitious self in 2015 that furiously typed out blog posts and whipped out the camera to snap pictures has burned out. I'm eager and ready to bring that person back. PREPARE YASELVES.

I think my outlook on life is more or less the same from my first post of 2016. I find it funny that I'm entering 2017 in a completely opposite manner than I entered 2016; I was starting my job going into 2016, and now I'm entering 2017 having left that exact job. Funny how life works, but when it comes down to it, you have to do what you need to do in order to propel yourself forward. Upwards and onwards, I say!

Wishing you all the happiest, safest, and healthiest of new years. Cheers to more adventures, experiences, and more! :)

{2016 april & may playlist}

Another (2) months, another playlist. At this point, this blog might as well just be a supplement to my SoundCloud account.

I'm extremely excited about my new camera purchase, and hopefully, as the weather begins to warm and clear up, I'll be able to share some exciting new photos and blog posts. Feeling uninspired as of late, but I hope this playlist will inspire you in current projects or work you're engaged in!