***Trigger warning: discussions of suicide, car accident. Please only read if you feel comfortable doing so. If you are feeling suicidal, please know that you are not alone, and contact the 24/7 help line for immediate assistance in Canada: 1-833-456-4566****

Welcome back! We’re so glad to have had the chance to do some reflecting on 2022 and share some wishes for 2023 in our last blog post. Today, we’re diving in to some of the adventures in Washington state we had, while visiting the area this past fall. Read on for a recap on our time exploring, and some suggestions for things to do for your next visit!

A rough start to the journey

After my adventures in NC in September, I couldn’t be more happy to be back on the west coast as we headed into October. It was a bit of a rough start, as I got re-routed through a different airport to make it to Seattle, Washington – and by the time I reached my hotel it was well after 3am. However, I thankfully made it in one piece!

My first morning in Seattle also happened to be the one-year anniversary of losing a loved one to suicide. I talk about this in more detail in another post, but having that on my first day in Seattle was a lot to process. I did spend some time exploring the Pike Place Market, which was pretty cool, but it was definitely with mixed emotions. More of my reflections about this time can be found in a recent blog post. This definitely had an impact on my experiences the rest of the week.

Exploring Seattle and area

Before I knew it, the week had begun. I was travelling all throughout Seattle and the surrounding areas, including Bellevue, Kirkland, Sammamish, Shorewood, Inglemoor, and more. I even took the ferry across to Bainbridge Island, which was really cool! I’m glad I had the chance to see so much of this area. Seattle definitely reminds me a LOT of Vancouver, so for me, it felt a bit like home. I had visited Seattle previously but it had been many years since I’d been back, so this was a great opportunity to re-explore.

Visit to Tacoma

I also had the chance to drive out to Tacoma briefly, which is a super cute city that I wish I had more time to explore! Fingers crossed for next time. Unfortunately, on my way back from Tacoma into Seattle, I was in a car accident. I got rear-ended just as I was coming back into Seattle and definitely had some whiplash as a result. This was my first car accident and I was really shaken up, so I got checked out at the hospital just to be on the safe side.

Thankfully, everything was okay for the most part, just some whiplash and muscle soreness but nothing too major. Still, it was enough to throw a wrench in my plans. I spent most of the next day laying low and the day after, I felt quite tense while driving – but was very glad to be heading back to BC. I had previously planned to go to BC right after being in WA since they’re so close, and after my accident, I definitely needed it! Being around family and friends was a big comfort.

Recommendations

All in all, it definitely was an adventure in Washington state! I once again didn’t get to do as much exploring as I wanted to, due to the car accident. However, I will share some of my limited recommendations if you are exploring the city and nearby areas of Seattle:

• Visit Pike Place Market – it’s fairly touristy but still really neat to check out, lots of produce and products to explore!
• Going near the water is always a treat. They have lots of construction near the waterfront so it can be difficult to access. I definitely recommend taking the ferry to Bainbridge Island if you have a chance, it was gorgeous!
• Downtown Seattle is super cute to explore, and I also recommend exploring outside of downtown if possible. Bellevue in particular I really liked, but all of the surrounding suburbs are super gorgeous.

Hopefully next time I’m in Seattle won’t be as much of a hectic, moody, roller-coaster. Regardless, I’m still always grateful for the experience! Looking forward to sharing more of my travels with you all soon. ♥️

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