Paula Broome
‘wanderlust’ photo series
4. Seattle, Washington, USA
As neither a coffee lover or a grunge fan, I went to Seattle by coincidence
rather than by pilgrimage. It was a convenient place to meet family in
Alaska and the flights were reasonable. I went with limited knowledge
and no expectations. American cities could be hit and miss. Some, like
New York City and Boston, were tremendous. Others blurred into a
vast sprawl of strip malls and chain restaurants.
to the vintage stores and independent coffee shops. The locals were
noticeably laid back and welcoming; the whole city felt inviting. I could
always hear music – every bar had a live band playing and open doors
– no matter what time of the day. The local beers were delicious and I
found myself wishing that we had longer here or at least time to visit
neighbouring Portland.
The chill hit us immediately, a vast difference in temperature from the
East Coast where we had travelled from. I looked up for rain clouds but
saw nothing but blue. I liked Seattle already. We checked into a guest
house that exuded charm and felt the weariness from the long flight
begin to lift. Mount Rainier loomed over us as we walked expectantly
around the city. The chain restaurants were there, but took a back seat
But then this is what I love about traveling. You just never know. I was
there with my now ex-husband – both wholly unaware that this would
be our last trip together. As the fog rolled in, I looked up again to assess
the weather. Birds were swirling in the wind and the buildings of the
financial district were engulfed by a force bigger than them, just as our
relationship was about to be.