Emerald City Adventures

When I think of Seattle a few things come to mind.

1// Sleepless in Seattle. I adore this movie. I love the sweetness of Meg Ryan's character and how Tom Hanks' character loved his wife sooo much and how they find love with each other. I am a sucker for a good romantic comedy.

2// Boats. I visited Seattle as a child (I was either seven or eight) and we traveled from Seattle to Victoria, Canada with my aunt and uncle on their boat. It was an incredible trip. We explored the port towns and I vividly remember seeing a deer for the first time in my life. There aren't many deer in San Diego.

3// Rain. Of course, an obvious come to mind. Seattle is known for it's rain. But the byproduct of rain is an abundance of green. Everywhere. No wonder it is known as the Emerald City.



Seattle is a fun city, filled with eclectic people {I saw a man with a racoon skin hat, with the racoon face still on it, and a kitten (alive, thankfully) on his shoulder} and a unique culture. One Seattleite I met called the fashion style "REI chic" and many others said they hike, bike or kayak after work most days.

Another thing Seattle is known for is its food scene. I saw this up close and personal as an attendee at Foodista's IFBC (International Food Bloggers Conference). I sampled appetizers, entrees and desserts from some of the most acclaimed restaurants in the city. UrbanSpoon even organized a secret dinner for all 300 attendees at restaurants throughout Seattle. I dined on sockeye salmon crostinis, venison tartare and the most heavenly gnudi (similar to gnocchi) I have ever tasted at Spur Gastropub.

gnudi dumplings with watermelon radishes, plums and cheese sauce

I ate a TON this weekend. But I also learned a lot. I learned how to determine quality olive oil at the tasting session I attended. I learned what foods pair with what wines, and what foods don't at another tasting. I also learned skills to become a better writer and a bit about that whole Google Plus thing. But I'm still a little confused about that last one.

And I made new friends.

Seattle has always had a special place in my heart. Now it has a bigger one.