Back in the spring I knew I wanted to schedule myself a quick little getaway. I wanted vast expanses of inspirational nature – forests, mountains, and water. After a quick Facebook poll, I booked a ticket to Seattle partly as a much-needed personal retreat, partly as a birthday gift to myself (my birthday is this Sunday!) and did not look back! I am so happy to have done this for myself. I fell in love with this city so quickly. It’s really worth a visit, I can’t recommend it enough! I personally did very little planning for this trip – it was 2 days of travel, 3 days of play – but that’s just how I wanted it. Stress-free.
First off, mad props to my friend Emily Y. for being the best hostess ever! This girl makes some of the cutest handmade Christmas cards ever
I also met up with a great photog friend of mine, Anna Wu, and we promptly jumped into photoshoot mode
(photo below taken by Emily while Anna was also shooting. I kept this serious face for max of maybe a couple of seconds)
We also had lunch with one of Anna’s friends, Alan, and visited his startup, which has something to do with energy storage and carbon particles. All very materials science engineering stuff.
They had a balcony. The only thing is, you have to climb out a window to get to it. When they make bank, there will be a door
When I was really young I’d been to Seattle and did the touristy thing. This time I did not want touristy thing. Instead we found these awesome photo spots
We had happy hour oysters at Elliott’s Oyster House. One dozen each
The second day, I went by myself to Mt. Rainier where I got all the awe-inspiring scenery I could ever wanted. Every time I saw the gorgeous peak I couldn’t help but sing praises to the Maker of such beauty
You don’t have to believe in a god to appreciate the majesty of such scenes
It’s moments like these when I realize how small I am, how great each day can be, and that each day is a gift. I’m so grateful for my life, and though it is rife with uncertainties,
these moments can never be forgotten, and I am inspired and energized to continue trying to be a better person
(P&S photo below)
The last day was a little bit more laidback. Emily took some time to take me to a great park on Mercer Island called the Luther Burbank Park. I really think it’s great how much Seattle invests into their green spaces
I also met up with a great friend I’ve had since middle school, Yuan, who happened to also be trekking up! We spent quite some time in a very large Japanese grocery store. Also, thank you for introducing me to the Daiso store – where almost everything is $1.50! (P&S photo)
For photogs… whenever I travel, I travel light. Most photos were taken with a 50mm f/1.8 mounted on a D700. Some of them with a point and shoot (Canon SD800, not the greatest model but usable). Eventually I’m thinking of eliminating a DSLR altogether when I travel – especially when doing stuff like hiking – and carrying one of the excellent cameras in the Canon G-series
Flying back to Boston today, and then getting ready for another busy busy week of shooting!
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by Shang
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