seattle in color.

For a city so often gray and rainy, Seattle is actually quite full of color.

Colorful personalities . . .

(I love a good show - especially when it involves fish throwing.)  

 

Colorful walkways . . .

(What is it with the west coast and Bubblegum Alleys?) 

Colorful stories . . .

(This is the "Real World: Seattle" house where Stephen slapped Irene.) 

(These are arguably one of city's best Bloody Mary's - aboard the Argosy Tour Boat - they use Absolut Cintron.)

(Despite being surrounded by water, there aren't many waterfront hotels - one, the Edgewater, was made famous by the Beatles when they were photographed fishing out of their room window.)  

(The Space Needle is apparently the most structurally safe place in the city.  Um, not sure how they know that or who is going to test it out should some disaster strike Seattle?) 

An Exquisite, Fragrant, Wonderfully Colorful market . . .

Amid gray skies and intermittent rain showers on our second day in Seattle, we got a large dose of rich color in not only our surroundings and experiences, but also with the company of friends Emily and Justin, who just so happened to be visiting Seattle at the same time we were.

The four of us walked through Pike Market, toured the city by boat, visited the Ballard Locks and let Emily - one of my most favorite foodies - guide us to some of the best spots to eat in Seattle.  We had, among other things, oysters twice in one day, and then played Skee Ball at a quaint (read: totally awesome) bar in the Ballard District.

It was a colorful day, indeed.

For a long time, I thought that adding color to my life would require big romantic gestures, grand trips to exotic locales, a Superhero type person to swoop in and save an otherwise gloomy day.

Big color is good, and I've been fortunate enough to experience it.

But the older I get, I'm more aware of the little things (Georgia wins, draft beer, live music), and seemingly insignificant moments (a handwritten card in the mail, enjoying my favorite meal), the friends who show up, time after time, proving their loyalty (you know who you are)- these are the moments, the people who put the color in my life.

Just like the ridiculously cheap bouquets of flowers at the Pike Market (seriously if I lived there, I would buy fresh flowers daily), a colorful life is nothing more than the sum of little displays along the way. 

How can I shift my focus to them, and ignore the gray clouds that often get so much attention?

And more importantly, how can I be for others like the pops of color that bring Seattle to life in spite of the unpredictable weather?

In honor of a great day in Seattle, let me show more kindness and choose more love, becoming a refuge to those seeking shelter from the gray.