the Sun also Sets Quickly.

Days until I leave for college: 5 (!!!)

I returned to Kemah Boardwalk for the first time since 2010.  I was thirteen then, which added to the nostalgia and my growing awareness of just how old I really am. I realized that my parents don't always remember to bring a camera along so we can look back on what we did, so I did! I'm not sure how I looked with both a cross-body bag and a camera bag crisscrossing over my outfit...oh well! 

At first it was all nice and light and full of late afternoon laziness...

When we got there, we had just been cooped up in a car for two and a half hours, so we walked around a bit to liven up our legs, and if you were me, you hobbled about to pop your knees. After a bit, we stopped trying to ignore the fact that we were all secretly starving even though we had eaten pretty recently. We popped into the Flying Dutchman (I promise its real, I'm not referencing Spongebob), and we stared at the sunset. It was so nice, that I didn't even take pictures, preferring to just stare at it. And then stuff my face later with food. 

Everyone runs away the moment I pull out a camera...fine...I see how it is...

And the sun set between the time we sat down to eat and the time we decided to pull out the camera...

 And then my brother took over the camera and asked me to pose-- just kidding, he wanted to take a picture of the ocean behind me, and I was in the frame, so he told me to smile anyway.

The picture minus mom equals me, probably not smiling. See? She was necessary.

 My mom didn't want the pictures to miss out on her presence. It was totally understandable. 

I called him Kemah Kat. He does't actually answer to it, though, surprisingly. 

 I SAW A CAT. We spotted three around all of the boardwalk, actually, but this was the closest the cat ever came to me. I tried to make it come closer by staring at it without blinking, but it sadly didn't work, and my contacts got dry and burned, so that was clearly was not one of my stellar ideas.

Even typing this post I'm laughing at this picture, because that is my face when I'm not in resting bitch face. 

This is what I got in return from my brother after I asked at least thirty times for a picture that I quote "won't make me look lazy, tired, gross, or anything else with a negative connotation." ("I run a blog, you know, Nick. I have to look decent.") I'm still trying to check off at least one of those requirements, but I got kick out of this picture anyways.

Why can't this pole just not exist?! I like everything else about the picture!!!?!!!
Oh, my top is Stradivarius,my shorts are by Gap, my bag is from fossil, my flip-flops are from AE, and my earrings are Colombian. 

My brother and I got on the ferris wheel- my favorite because I like the views- and we got our own gondola, and my parents got the next one, so every seven seconds, they floated past and waved at us. By now, it was pretty late though, so we really just saw the distant scattered lights on the bay, a relaxing view regardless.

An imposing structure built to scare and torment me. 

Fun fact: I'm terrified of rides that try to scare you by using speed and height. But I was also feeling excited after going on another ride that's not pictured here called the Aviator, and that one happens to go pretty high for me, so I made another nonsensical decision and promised my mom I would go on this ride picture above called the Pharaoh's Fury. I don't really feel obligated to tell you if I carried out that promise.

The gondola on the far right- my parents were in there! 

For the memories and nostalgia of being surrounded by hundreds of people I don't know, and the funnel cake people would trail on the ground, and the soda left everywhere, and the constant smell of sweat, not sea salt, I'll say I had fun. No, really though, I had fun. 

Just a friendly tip, though; don't wear dangly earrings when its windy out. Don't ask. 

Courtesy of yours truly. 

Thanks for reading!!!

P.S. I didn't go on it. She thinks I'll make it up to her "next time". *laughs nervously*

Trekking About the Pacific Northwest: Seattle

Recently, I was lucky enough to travel up to the Washington area for a little bit. My parents and my brother tagged along (just kidding, actually I tagged along for this trip) and so we all fled the stifling Texas heat in search of a change of scenery and relaxation. Cue the alarms going off at 4:45 A.M. around my house and a half hour of insanity in which we all shoved suitcases and bags into my dad's car and piled into it like sardines. Within two hours, we were power walking into the airport and I was moping about my back pains courtesy of my crappy packing skills- or lack of any packing skills at all- and then, moping because I was the lucky passenger who was blessed with the seat in front of the toddler with hyperactive legs. 

**Fast forward four hours of Symphony of "Pummeling Sarah's Seat into a Pulp No. 1"**

Yaaaaaay Seattle! You have no idea how wonderful your weather is compared to the kind around here in Texas. That being said, you all cannot possibly complain about it being hot right now up there. I just can't process that, sorry.







On to the cool stuff, like the places I went to! And feel free to take this as a fellow tourist's advice on where to go in Seattle that's worth going; take this as my gift to you...a 'no-frills' list of places to go to. 

Pike Place Market: Just do it. Its got food, and a cool market where you can find great vintage products, watch people toss fish around, buy miscellaneous items that you will stare at for a solid hour, and it has the first Starbucks EVER. Lost in Pike Place trying to find it? Just look for the ridiculous line. You have a 99.99% chance of finding it. 

Hi mom. Hi glasses, and post flight hair and expressions of exhaustion. 

Starbucks Downsides: its always crowded, so you may have to elbow some people to get a picture in front of the sign that proves you were there. 
Upside: the workers are really nice! They entertain you while you wait in the long line, and basically reel you in and keep you from giving up on them. 

This plaque meets you when you walk in.

I spelled it out for them too. What does the world have against the letter h? :D

Photographic evidence. 

If you are in front of this sign, you came to the right place.

Seattle Space Needle: I'll just mention that I've been to the San Antonio Space Needle, and while it was beautiful, I imagined something different when we got to the Seattle one. So you can imagine my apathy when we stood in an equally extensive line, and went up a similar elevator. But the view this time was totally worth it. Seattle is gorgeous from up here, so its great for a bunch of photos. I went the cliché route and posted about it on my Instagram. So go up the thing. Its worth the view. 

The Piers!!!: I walked down to the Waterfront with my family, and we just walked along the piers. I believe we walked from Pier 62 to Pier 52, and we popped into the Seattle Aquarium, where I saw the cutest otters i have yet to see, and then took some embarrassing photos of the wind attacking and defeating my hair and sunglasses and map that I had been using to shield myself from the sun with. Finally, we ate dinner at Ivar's, where I had to surrender and eat seafood because nothing vegan or vegetarian was available. (Ooh, quick recommendation for Ivar's- my dad praises them highly for their paella) 

I got grilled salmon at Ivar's. It came with a cool mustard infused sauce and mushrooms. 5 out of 5.

And now...drumroll please...the food.

Because I already threw so much text at you today, I will go easy on you and keep this as brief as I can. Oh, and you can find all of these on Yellow Pages if you need to locate them:

'Biscuit Bitch' aka Caffe Lieto: breakfast spot that was recommended generously by locals. Not vegan friendly, just so you know beforehand.

the Crumpet Shop at Pike Place: crumpets. I think that was an easy decision for breakfast as well. Also very recommended. Psst...psst.. get strawberry preserves. Thank me later.

le Panier: one word. Macarons. Okay bye.

Japonessa: Near the Seattle Art Museum aka SAM. Its delicious sushi. I got a vegetarian roll, but then my inner foodie had to taste a tempura spicy tuna roll with avocado...it was delicious too. Definitely perfect for sharing.

And now some places where I was told to go but Alas!- I ran out of days and money to keep it up. {Also, I was gaining weight, so as a family we decided to go the healthier route and just get coffee at Starbucks instead for breakfast. Except for me. I'm a die hard tea fan.}

Morsel: for Breakfast. Sorry, I have no suggestions here!

Toulouse Petit: I think I heard they have good etouffee?? And tasty grits. I also overheard a hotel concierge telling other tourists that its veggie-friendly. As a southerner it sounds pretty cool. and anything 'cruelty free' gets my attention.

Paseo: I was told to get a Cuban sandwich here with pulled pork.

Pike Place Chowder: besides being easy to locate due to its name, they have apparently the best chowder in Seattle. And fellow vegans- they have VEGAN chowder. Whoop whoop!!


And oh the coffee shops! Be still my beating heart. The amount of times I had random and creative infusions of fruit and herbal teas stuns me. Some names off the top of my head; Storyville, Caffe Vita, Caffe Fiore, and TopPot Doughnuts. And no, I didn't have a doughnut there. And only my parents got coffee. But they stared at their cups longingly when they finished it, and I know that's a good thing.

Seattle, thanks for being so great! And keep up the good food! And Starbucks, just keep on keeping on. Clearly you get it right all the time.

My view from the Space Needle.

Hope I helped anyone else who is flirting with the idea of visiting Seattle as well but is also a martian like me and is overwhelmed by the places to go and by the rich culture! I cannot wait to go back!

PS. the metro-rail rail is your friend.

Thanks for reading!