07 Mar My Trip to Seattle

Written By: Riko Saito

The winter break was very long for me so I had a lot of free time and I decided to go to several states during the break. In January, I went to Seattle, Miami and Chicago by myself. Of course, I really like to travel with my friends but I like to solo travel as well. Solo travel is kind of scary but during a solo trip, I leave my comfort zone and after the trip I can have confidence and also reconnect with myself. In this blog, I am going to write about one of the solo trips.

From January 8^th to 10^th, I went to Seattle. There are two reasons why I decided to go to Seattle. The first one is that there is the original Starbucks store and the headquarters is in Seattle. I had a part time job at Starbucks in Japan, so I really wanted to go there and I decided to go to Seattle as a solo trip. The second reason is some of my friends went to Seattle. I saw their posts on Instagram and they made me feel like going there.

When I arrived at the airport in Seattle, I was excited and looking forward to going to many places but the worst thing happened. My checked suitcase did not come out. I went to the baggage claim and asked where my baggage was. The staff said that my baggage must be the carousel but if there was not my baggage, maybe a person took my baggage by mistake. I was disappointed and hopeless. After I left the airport, I went to a shop to buy clothes. Unfortunately, I had to buy a suit jacket as well because I had an online meeting with a company at night on January 9^th and I packed it in my suitcase. It cost too much to buy these clothes but gradually I felt excited because the cityscape was so good. After I bought clothes, I went to the original Starbucks. I thought the store was so crowded because it was pretty famous but actually it was not crowded. Maybe it was because I went there near closing time and also it was raining. I bought a stuffed toy, a tumbler and stickers which were sold only there. Also, I ordered a seasonal drink which was sweet. I was so happy to go there. After that, I went to Amazon Go which was a cutting-edge store. There are only 23 stores in the US and Washington is the state with most Amazon Go stores. At the store, there are no cash registers and staff. When I entered the gate, I had to scan my credit card and after I finished picking up items, I just walked through the gate. I was surprised at the system and I felt it was so futuristic. There was also space to eat inside, so I ate chicken bento I bought at the store. Before I went back to the hotel, I went to a convenience store to buy bottles of water. When I went to the cash register, I made small talk with the staff. I was still a little sad because my suitcase was lost so I told him that. Then he was surprised and comforted me very much. In addition, he gave me some snacks. I was so glad and felt the warmth of the people.

On January 9^th, I went to Pike Place Market. It was crowded and full of excitement. I walked through the market and enjoyed the atmosphere. I went to Pike Place Chowder and ate clam chowder. There were many awards on the wall, so I was looking forward to eating it. The taste was rich and so good. The chowder is the best chowder I have ever had. Then I went to Beecher’s Handmade Cheese. It is famous so when I went there, there was a long line and I ordered Mac & Cheese. The taste was more amazing than I had imagined. There was some spice and the taste was kind of unique. I really liked it and I wished I could have lived in Seattle and eaten it every day. Then I went to the original Starbucks Roastery Reserve. I went there just before the closing time so I could not observe the inside very much but I was surprised at the tasting room and how big the store was. I ordered a toffee Bianco latte, which was a seasonal drink. The taste was sweet and the sweetness really matched the bitterness of coffee. When I arrived a hotel, I got a call from the baggage claim desk at the airport, and staff said “I got call from a person taking your baggage by mistake and your baggage will be sent to your address.” I was so relieved that my suitcase was found and I would be able to get it back.

On January 10^th, I went to the headquarters of Starbucks. It was so big and at the first floor there was Starbucks Roastery Reserve so I went there and had breakfast. It was so comfortable and fancy. Some people working at the headquarters came there as customers and to me they looked so cool somehow. After I left there, I headed to the airport. Through the solo trip, I experienced many things. I experienced a difficulty at the airport. At the time I was really sad and I felt like crying. I thought if I had come with my friends, my friends would have supported and comforted me and I would not have felt so sad. However, the experience made me strong because I overcame the difficulty and learned how to stay positive. In addition, I went to many places, ate a lot of delicious food and interacted with local people. These are unforgettable memories to me. Seattle became one of my favorite cities and I will definitely go there again someday. I realized again the attractiveness of a solo trip. However, I was satisfied with the solo trip in Seattle so next time, I would like to go there with my friends or family and guide them.