Books + Museum + Rainy Afternoon in Seattle

To be quite honest, I feel like I'm pushing forward without a sense of what my path is. My internship at YES! is ending next week, I haven't booked a plane ticket anywhere (even though my parents keep asking me what day I'm flying home), I don't have any arrangements to stay in Seattle, and no job.

One way to look at the situation is I'm in deep trouble. Another way to look at it is I have a lot of options.

I mean, not everything happening in my life is bad. I have a second interview on Friday for a recipe editor position at a new cookbook app. I should hear back about a job at the Society of Professional Journalists headquarters next week. Also, my bestie who is living in California keeps telling me I always have the option of staying with her for as little or as long as I want. Plus home is always awaiting me with open arms.

The thing is, I just want to pave my own way and jump into this crazy life head and heart first.

Anyway, onto other things, Sunday I decided to take a trip to Seattle. I have been dying to visit the iconic Elliot Bay Company and Frye Art Museum, so here's some pics from my trip:

I was exhausted, but happy, when I finally saw Frye Art Museum. I'm still a little intimidated by public transportation, so I walk everywhere. This was quite a trek in the rain - ten blocks uphill! And when I say uphill, let me just tell you that it was so steep that people holding onto the wall as they were descending because the rain had made it so slippery.

After about eight blocks and soaked from the rain, I called my daddy. Yes, I rely on my dad even when we're over 2,000 miles apart. He assured me that I was almost to the museum and I kept on with my journey.

Hello, Frye. Nice to finally see you. Bonus: this museum is always free.

I wasn't totally thrilled with the exhibit, but there were a few pieces that caught my eye. Caption: Rud[olf?] Gliesch. Plate 68, Omamentik der Gegenwart, 1905-6. Published by Verlag Christian Stoll, Plauen, Germany.

Aubrey Beardsley. British, 1872-98. Illustrations in Sir Thomas Malory, Le Morte D'Arthur. Published by William Dent & Son, London, 1894. Limited Edition, two-volume set, bound in ivory cloth with gold decoration.

Henri Heran (pseudonym of Paul Hermann). German, 1864-1940. Spielendes Meerweib (Frolicking Mermaid), n.d. Color wood and lithograph. Published in Pan III, no. 4, 1897.

This was part of the featured artist: Rodrigo Valenzuela. I didn't get the info on this particular piece, but it was a big room that was set up with these canvases. The atmosphere was very industrial. The rest of his exhibit was videos. One showcased African American men talking picking up trash at a stadium and talking about their lives. Another was a series of videos. The one that I watched told the story of men crossing the Mexico-U.S. border and the atrocities that happened to them.

Valenzuela's exhibition was by far my favorite that the museum had on display.

Need a bike? Rent one at one of these stations.

After I left the museum, I was on my way to Elliot Bay. Except for the fact that between 9th Street and 10th street there are probably five non-numbered streets. So needless to say, I got a bit confused.

And that's when I stumbled upon Seattle University. As I walked by, I saw a beautiful garden and decided I had to take a detour.

Everyone should have a Shakespeare garden!

The campus is just beautiful. I felt right at home and loved the mossy steps and flowering gardens.

After being lost in the city, taking a breather in nature was definitely needed.

The campus is trying to be zero waste. They're doing this by making it easy for students to recycle and compost. Did you know that there's an ordinance in Seattle against putting food in the garbage? That's pretty awesome, right?

The area around Frye Museum and the campus of Seattle University were beautiful, so when I turned down 10th Street and found it kind of dirty, I wasn't sure if I should proceed in the direction Elliot Bay was supposed to be. I kept on going and was so happy when I saw this sign. I made it!

Can I just live here?

There were four long shelves of poetry - and most of it contemporary poetry! I was in heaven. I found this gem of a book Dear Lil Wayne by Lauren Ireland.

And of course I couldn't resist the urge to buy some poetry books. I've been obsessed with Write Bloody Publishing for yearsss (was hell-bent on interning there before they stopped offering internships) and when I was watching Button Poetry videos, I found Sarah Kay. Since then, I've been watching video after video after video after video of Sarah's. As for the Zachary Schomburg book, I just couldn't put it down.