Seattle 2024

I landed in Seattle at 8am on Friday. Jeff came to the airport to get me, and from there we headed out to breakfast at the Black Bear Diner, an old favorite of ours in the area.

After breakfast, Jeff went to the aquatic center for his refereeing and judging duties. I set out a short while later to explore Federal Way. I first walked to the Transit Center, and then I explored the area around the Performing Arts Center before making my way around to the strip malls. During my walk, there were dark clouds. I silently cursed my bad decision to not bring my raincoat.

During my wanderings, I chanced upon an H-Mart. I was quite excited by this find, and I happily trooped in to look at the produce on display. I was also stoked to find a food court. There, I ordered a tofu stew from a gruff Korean woman. The spicy stew paired with steaming hot rice really hit the spot. I can’t think of a better pick-me-up after a redeye flight.

After lunch, I purchased some snacks and wandered out of H-Mart to find that it was raining. I ducked into the nearby Barnes and Noble for a while, and then I decided to walk the 20 minute route back to the Courtyard Marriott because it didn't look as if the rain would clear.

I returned to the hotel around 3pm and dried off. Lo and behold, 20 minutes later the rain stopped. I decided not to venture out again as I was still drying off and thawing out. That evening, Jeff and I went out to Trader Joe's to buy microwave dinners.Read more