Edgework. Seattle
It's been a long time since we traveled for the cultural experience.
For "the interview" the husband (boyfriend of 6 months at the time) and I took a 4 week trip in Central America- Mexico, Guatemala, Belize. Chicken buses (and yes they do have chickens, even at 2am), couchsurfing, hard floors, and more chickens. This was my first trip that I found my traveledge, but at the end of the trip we were more in love than when we started and we knew we had a good thing. Not saying it didn't take me a few tears to get there, but for us, we found hard moments bonded us. This is a lesson that we could remember more often. For myself I found that, I prefer traveling on the local scene.
TravelEdge: that place where you feel uncomfortable, where you may or may not be in danger. That you grow as a person and learn something new about your self AND something new about someone else.
There are many ways for someone to find their edge while traveling.
Airports, unexpected changes, languages you don't understand, neighborhoods you don't normally visit..... list goes on
So it was time for me to find that edge again. We decided to take a few days visiting friends in Seattle before leaving on an Alaskan Cruise with family. Local Style
After arriving in the great city of Seattle, loaded our backs and our baby we look the light rail train to downtown Seattle. Easy. Great system. Great Views.
Lesson 1: If traveling backpack style, find a way to strap the car seat to a backpack. We used the baby rings.
Finding the right bus stop was less easy, but not hard. See in our marriage there are 2 captains, which is great for housework and less great for traveling in a big city you don't know. You may or may not end up walking circles. Carrying a baby and their car seat may get heavy in circles.
Lesson 2: Get cash before you leave home. This may be obvious, but hard to remember with a kido.
So we need cash for the buses. We have none. I'll get cash he says. Stay here he says. With baby and bags he says. oh and sorry I accidentally took your cell phone he says.
TravelEdge
Lesson 3: Traveling with a baby will get you to that edge soon.
I get frustrated when I am exposed to 2nd hand smoke, I really don't like it when my baby is exposed. I have a hard time not judging a woman with a baby in a stroller and another in the belly smoking a cigarette.
Not judging said woman when there are crack deals happening around us and when she and her friends are talking about dealing crack - Hard. One girl talks about how she just got out of jail today.
Here I am as the minority standing with my son, feeling uncomfortable, really uncomfortable.
I get it, I get how in the 80's crack was pushed into African American communities because there was too much supply of cocaine (thanks Kill the messenger, http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1216491/). I get it, and my heart breaks for those babies.
It remind myself that everyone is doing the best they can, if we could do better, we would do better, but I still feel uncomfortable and heart broken.
So I start to Breathe. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale.
And this breathing takes my edge down a notch. and I grow. I grow in understanding. I grow in serenity. I grow in how to manage being uncomfortable.
But in all honesty this is what I love about Seattle. I love how diverse it is. I love that if you dig a little deeper the stereotypes don't really exist here, or any where.
For "the interview" the husband (boyfriend of 6 months at the time) and I took a 4 week trip in Central America- Mexico, Guatemala, Belize. Chicken buses (and yes they do have chickens, even at 2am), couchsurfing, hard floors, and more chickens. This was my first trip that I found my traveledge, but at the end of the trip we were more in love than when we started and we knew we had a good thing. Not saying it didn't take me a few tears to get there, but for us, we found hard moments bonded us. This is a lesson that we could remember more often. For myself I found that, I prefer traveling on the local scene.
TravelEdge: that place where you feel uncomfortable, where you may or may not be in danger. That you grow as a person and learn something new about your self AND something new about someone else.
There are many ways for someone to find their edge while traveling.
Airports, unexpected changes, languages you don't understand, neighborhoods you don't normally visit..... list goes on
So it was time for me to find that edge again. We decided to take a few days visiting friends in Seattle before leaving on an Alaskan Cruise with family. Local Style
Finding the right bus stop was less easy, but not hard. See in our marriage there are 2 captains, which is great for housework and less great for traveling in a big city you don't know. You may or may not end up walking circles. Carrying a baby and their car seat may get heavy in circles.
Lesson 2: Get cash before you leave home. This may be obvious, but hard to remember with a kido.
So we need cash for the buses. We have none. I'll get cash he says. Stay here he says. With baby and bags he says. oh and sorry I accidentally took your cell phone he says.
TravelEdge
Lesson 3: Traveling with a baby will get you to that edge soon.
I get frustrated when I am exposed to 2nd hand smoke, I really don't like it when my baby is exposed. I have a hard time not judging a woman with a baby in a stroller and another in the belly smoking a cigarette.
Not judging said woman when there are crack deals happening around us and when she and her friends are talking about dealing crack - Hard. One girl talks about how she just got out of jail today.
Here I am as the minority standing with my son, feeling uncomfortable, really uncomfortable.
I get it, I get how in the 80's crack was pushed into African American communities because there was too much supply of cocaine (thanks Kill the messenger, http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1216491/). I get it, and my heart breaks for those babies.
It remind myself that everyone is doing the best they can, if we could do better, we would do better, but I still feel uncomfortable and heart broken.
So I start to Breathe. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale.
And this breathing takes my edge down a notch. and I grow. I grow in understanding. I grow in serenity. I grow in how to manage being uncomfortable.
But in all honesty this is what I love about Seattle. I love how diverse it is. I love that if you dig a little deeper the stereotypes don't really exist here, or any where.
Lovely!
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