Strategizing the Stag

I really unwound myself today, with nothing in my schedule at all I committed myself to finishing a game I got recently and then some pottering about. I did do a little bit of planning for Mark's Stag as well, he's taken it upon himself to organize the key beats (which is how he wanted it so I'll respect that). We're basically doing a souped-up canal boat weekend near Oxford so I plotted our stops and researched some nearby pubs. Unless we beach the boat, we're gonna have a blast.

Panelist

When I said yesterday how I'm over my jetlag, I forgot to factor in actually getting to sleep in the night... I took me over two hours to finally drop off last night. 

My only commitment today was being part of a speaking panel about being in the TV industry. I got sent the prep questions early so I had time to get my head around things, but when I arrived and saw the stage and the microphone my nervousness bubbled up. But in reality I was in a room with people who were all super keen and eager to listen to what we had to say. I would have killed to go to events like that when I was starting out of Uni so it was nice to be a part of it. Best thing though was bumping into a lot of familiar faces, after it was all done we headed out for a single pint to catch up, then it was time to hit the road. 

Just Lag Be Gone

I really feared my jet lag would be the slow death of me, but to my surprise all it took was a couple of painkillers and some coffee and I was right as rain. Rebecca and I took the day to goof off and get ready for the week, playing some games together as we went. All our holiday laundry has gone through the works, all bags unpacked and all debts to each other after all the dinners out have been squared off. I'm going to be playing house husband for a while so I'm going to settle into that role as best I can, gotta enjoy it while it lasts.

Losing a Day to Travel

Flying back to the UK has meant we crossed over a bunch of time zones and sat on planes for basically the entire day. We left Seattle in the middle of the day Saturday and arrived back home late afternoon Sunday... I've missed a day in the maths and the travel there, but the main thing is we're home. The cat gave us a wide berth before she remembered who we were. Otherwise I spent the day in a daze, not knowing if I'm coming or going. In a delirium I feel down onto the sofa to see what was in Film4, it was Toy Story 2 - a film that ends in an airport terminal. Even when I'm done with travel the topic continues to haunt me. 

24 Hours in Seattle

We got up a little earlier to enjoy 24 hours in Seattle. We bumped up our appointment on the Space Needle to 9:30 to accommodate and we're very glad we did since it was much quieter. We shot up to the height of a skyscraper in just 45 seconds and silently revolved around the city. Back down on Terra Firma we enjoyed the Glass Gardens and Museum featuring several blown glass exhibits which were enthralling. The only other spot on our Tourist hit list was Pike Market, where it seemed the whole city congregated to because it was teaming with people. Think Borough Market but by the harbour and you'll get a sense of it. It's also home to the first ever Starbucks where Rebecca and I took the coffee pilgrimage to.

In our last day in North America we found a board game shop with a free play games with strangers event where we played games with two locals who took us under their wing. It was a surprisingly social way to end our time here, Rebecca and I spent so much time in our own little bubble on holiday that it was easy to forget that what makes a city is the people. 

Seattle Shuttle

We did one last potter around Victoria. Rebecca headed back into a bookshop to get a few more paperbacks. There was also a Japanese lunch spot that served sashimi rice bowls that we'd been meaning to try for all week which we at last got to sample - it quickly snuck into my top 3 meals of the holiday. 

We boarded the ferry outbound to Seattle, clearing customs while paying the extra $30 for the privilege of having our fingerprints kept on file. The sun was starting to set over the bay as we got into the city which was honestly pretty magical. We got less than 48 hours here though so we're aiming to get up early and cram all we can into tomorrow. 

Canadian IPA'S

We took the old hire car for another spin up to some nearby harbour towns. Nanaimo is comparatively quaint when put next to Victoria but the waterside views were hard to deny. Once we got back to our hotel we just wanted to read in bed, then get pizza, then get a couple more drinks in before we cross the boarder tomorrow. I've developed a real taste for Canadian IPA's this time around. I remember them being tasty but I genuinely can't get enough of them now. I think it's because they're quite high percentage, which is good because I don't have to drink so much to feel the desired effect. 

Rebecca and I will bid farewell to Canada tomorrow, all while riding a boat towards the land of opportunity. It'll be my first time ever to America, let's hope it lives up to the hype.