goodbye seattle

so once again, i am on a travel holiday. and it's times like this that i am thankful i don't have a real job. now some would argue - probably in an attempt to make me feel more worthy or grown up or something - that i DO have a real job. and i guess i can see their point. when i'm working, i have a pretty standard 8hr day, in which i help people recover from various illnesses and injuries, a job that is very rewarding. however, most people with real jobs, at least american real jobs, do not have the luxury that i have, which is to take off as much time as i possibly want. or - at least take off as much as i can possibly afford to. but, because i am a pretty thrifty person in my every day life, i manage to save up enough that i can afford to take off for a month or more at a time. and this my friends is why i love my job. because it allows me to follow my biggest passion - traveling.

now that that's over with.. welcome to my trip to korea and japan!

i'm so glad to be getting out of seattle for a while. don't get me wrong, it's a pretty cool city. but after the disaster that was 2009 in boston, i had really high (probably too high - is any place actually perfect?) expectations. and i've been let down. i have a few theories as to why..

(1) i moved at the exact wrong time of year. october. which means gray skies and drizzly dreary weather for the next 9 months. no sun. ugh. i never thought i'd be so affected by the lack of sunshine. but i can see why people develop SAD.

(2) i moved here knowing no one. this was somewhat intentional. i really felt like i needed to completely start my life over. and what better way than to go somewhere where no one knows you. but moving somewhere where you know no one is difficult, because you realize quickly how lonely you actually are. and moving at a time when you're completely depressed to begin with - yeah, not the smartest decision either. so spent a lot of time crying in my studio apartment. alone. and really wondering if it was all a mistake, since my gut has rarely been wrong, and prior to moving it was screaming 'don't do it!'. ah well.

(3) seattle is full of geeks. not that i mind geeks, in fact i'm usually attracted to brainy people. but one thing to note is that though i realize there are some geeks that are very social, most are not. and i'm pretty social, once you get to know me. bad fit?

(4) people are super nice, and polite, and friendly - on the surface. seriously. this is the weirdest thing. everyone's all "oh, nice to meet you. let me get that door for you. no, i insist, after you". they're even polite when driving, which coming from boston took a little getting used to. BUT. very few will go the extra step to invite you into their circles. into their lives. i will give you an example conversation:

--person: "oh, so what are you doing this weekend?"

--me: "well, i'm new here so don't really know much about what there is to do"

--person: "oh, well... enjoy, have a good one!"

no mention of - hey want to grab a bite to eat, see a movie, get a coffee? i don't even like coffee, but i'd be willing to try it if you would just invite me! i'm not one to invite myself places. i have no problem doing things on my own, but sometimes you just want a buddy. especially when you're sad, lonely and depressed.

(5) speaking of coffee. i don't like it. and i managed to find myself living in the coffee capital of the world. or, at least america. how's that for a bad sign?

(6) i'm not a big drinker. why is this a problem? because all of the meetup groups and other social networking things i've done tirelessly to try to make friends - they all revolve around bars. and happy hours. and drinking. and sorry but that gets old after awhile.

okay, enough of the babbling about the cons of seattle. there are pluses too, and as i spend more time here, it grows on me a little at a time. but - my two best friends i've made here are leaving me. one's already gone (thanks frank) back to austin tx. and the other leaves with his yacht for tahiti (thanks gareth) three days after i return from my travels, though i guess i can't say i blame him. tahiti? yes, please! i just feel like i'm going to have to start all over again. and i'm getting tired of constantly starting over.

that said, i've never looked more forward to a new year. 2009 was seriously the worst year i've experienced thus far in my 27 years. no exaggeration. and despite me trying to let go of things that happened and move on with my life, even moving clear across the country wasn't enough. so i have faith that 2010 will do it. the literal turning over of a new leaf.

so goodbye seattle, hello korea and japan and 2010!