re.write road trip: Seattle, WA

Our next stop after Portland was Seattle, Washington. We stayed with Mark's cousin, Allise, and her beautiful family. Aside from exploring the city and its dynamic neighborhoods, we spent a lot of time just hanging out with Allise, her husband, and their two adorable boys, who are three years old and six months old. Our day usually began with a cup of coffee as we laughed and played with the boys. Then, we went for our morning run at Green Lake Park and a nearby mossy forest that looked like it came straight out of Lord of the Rings. We'd come back, hop in the shower, and get ready for the day's explorations. After galavanting through the city, Mark and I would return home to two sleepy boys and some great conversations with the parents.

The family aspect of this stop stands out to us most. Being in Mammoth and Portland on our own was fun in its own way, but there's something warm and special about just hanging out with family...no plans or time constraints; just reading children's books, drinking coffee, decorating cookies, and playing with makeshift drumsets.

As a way of thanking Allise & Sage for letting us crash at their place, we took family photos for them, which turned out beautifully, not because of my photography skills but because they're just a ridiculously photogenic family. I mean, look at them!

Mark's interview was scheduled for our second morning in Seattle. Just by the way the first interview in Portland went and by the simple encouragement of friends and family, we knew it was gonna be a good one. But the actual interview and meeting exceeded our expectations tremendously. We walked away in awe of how we got connected to someone with such a powerful story. It always amazes me to know that there is never (nor will there ever be) a shortage of stories that highlight Jesus' transformative power in an individual's life. And as we expand our territory for stories, I am even more confident of this fact. No matter the location, there is always a story.

[During the re.write interview.]

After the interview, we had some time to explore Seattle's fun neighborhoods. We bought chocolate from Theo Chocolate in Fremont, walked through the bustling farmer's market in Ballard, went to church at Mars Hill, shopped and ate in Capitol Hill, walked through U-District, and met up with some friends from Korea at Pike Place Market! Although we were only in Seattle for three days, it felt much longer with the perfect combination of running around the city and taking it slow with the family on lazy afternoons. 

[Cookie decorating with our little friends.]

[And some iPhone snapshots...]

Both Portland and Seattle were cities Mark and I quickly fell in love with. You can't help but fall for the gritty and eclectic character that each city carries. The food culture is amazing. The shops are so much fun to walk through. And the vibe is just rad. 

Stay tuned for stop #3 in Redding, CA! And if you missed it, read about our first stop in Portland here.