Sentimental for Seattle -- One Year Later

A year ago today, I was scrambling around my apartment packing up the last of my belongings, while giving away as much as I could, prepping for my going away/birthday party and slipping in a lunch date at the Ballard Urban Picnic (BURP!) with an old friend.

Getting giddy w/ some gal pals

Having two weeks (not together, mind you), wasn't very much time to get it all together, especially considering I was still working full time. I couldn't really get organized to advertise, post and sell everything in the timing I wanted to and I ended up just giving most everything away. When I say most everything, I mean everything except books, kitchen supplies and clothes. It was time to let go and start a new life.

Toasting w/ my dear friend, Ross

Of course, I needed to celebrate

and offer gratitude to my old life, too, so I invited a few friends over. Since I was going rogue from Seattle, it was only appropriate that the man called "Seattle's Rogue Chef," Gabriel Claycamp, show off some of his culinary skill for a Filipino feast. It was nice not to have to cook, especially since most of my stuff was gone, and I'm grateful to him and his team for taking care of that for me . . . and that pineapple cake.



The party was so cool, we had to tweet about it

 It was so great to see people who've meant a lot to me over the years, like former colleagues, fellow entrepreneurs, walking buddies, classmates, students, and even an old friend I knew in college. New friends, came, too, who even took the time to brag about how cool the party was, on Twitter.

One last goodbye kiss from Sebastian

Words can't express all the love I still feel for my friends back in Seattle. (I almost want to say "back home," but it's not -- and it feels weird that it isn't.) For those that were able to make it and those that made it in Spirit, thank you. To Alyson, Phillip and David, thank you guys for helping me finish setting up. To Alyson, Inti and Rebecca, thanks for bringing the boys and young fun to the party. To Ross for representing one of my dearest families. And an extra special shout out to John, Patricia, Jenise, Mike, Keren and the lovely Miss Traca for sticking around until the wee hours of the evening (and morning) to help me finish up the clean-up and pack-up. T-Grrr and I would probably not have made the flight (or my deposit back) without you.

The next morning was surprisingly easy and even got captured in the New York Times.