Best 4 Experiences of 2023

#4 St Patrick’s Day with my dad in Seattle

This was a great day. I took the day off from the conference I was attending and we went up to Seattle. It started with bagels in Capitol Hill.

We went walked around grabbing a few drinks and shopping. I didn’t think my dad would love the neighborhood as much as he did but it probably help that it was sunny and 70 in Seattle in March! If you don’t know Capitol Hill is a LGBTQIA+ neighborhood and the questions he asked about different places names that were puns still makes me laugh. We both enjoyed a little browsing around.

Elliot Bay Book company was really big and had a great selection of graphic novels. Dad was also patient waiting outside when I when into a charity shop, Out of the Closet. I love a good pun and it supports AIDS healthcare. The store doesn’t look like much but I found some great finds at amazing prices!

We also went to Salt & Straw, I’ve been wanting to go there for years. By mid-afternoon we headed to the waterfront. There was even bagpipers there.

We ended our day at an Irish whiskey bar.

#3 Driving the 101 in Washington

When we were in Seattle my dad did most of the driving but after we drove to Port Angeles I took over driving. It was a good think I did because I didn’t know the road to our vacation rental was mountain on onside and overlooking Lake Sutherland on the other side. It wasn’t a busy road but my dad wasn’t a fan of the descent to the lake. I never knew that about him but when we went to Olympic National Park the next day I drove. 101 took us from our rental to Forks and we went off to see the hall of mosses in Hoh Rain Forest. After lunch in the car it started to drizzle and my dad fell asleep not long after I started driving he slept through most of the drive around Lake Quinault but that was a good thing. I don’t think he would of like the narrow dirt road, the twist and turns around the lake or the tiny wood bridge that our SUV just fit through. I loved it though and it was so beautiful the small amount of rain just made it feel like we were all alone in a fairy-tale land.

The next day we woke up early to make it back to Seattle. Dad slept most of the way there so I decided to take scenic 101 instead the shorter way on the bridge. It was the best drive I’ve ever done, hugging the coast around the fjord. The ups and downs, twists and turns were exhilarating. The expanse of the water and mountains were breathtaking. I’ll never forget it.

#2 Ruby Beach in Washington

We arrived at Ruby Beach just before sunset and it was perfect. I’ve never been to a black sand beach before the setting sun reflecting off the wet sand from the low tide was awe inspiring.

After taking hundreds of pictures, we went up on the rock to explore the tide pools before the tide came back in. I felt blessed to experience these sites and there was hardly anyone there that early in the year. It still doesn’t feel real.

#1 Solo Travel

In November I went on my first solo trip. I want to travel solo because I didn’t want other peoples’ plans or schedules stopping me from traveling. I thought I would enjoy it but I loved it so much more than I was expecting. I knew I would enjoy the freedom of doing what I wanted whenever I wanted but I didn’t know how much I would thrive. I gained confidence not only in navigating new places but talking to new people. The thing that I was worried about the most was what I loved more than anything else. I hate small talk and I’m extremely introverted but this was the most excited I’ve been about socializing outside my family. Meeting other travelers is so different. I made connections I wasn’t expecting and sometimes we even skipped small talk and dove into deep topics and conversations which I prefer. I think part of it is shedding any preconceptions in a new place around new people. Although I also think travelers are more open to new ideas, experiences and friends. My goal of the trip was to gain confidence for an international solo trip but I came back so excited to see who I’ll meet next and hopefully make some lasting friendships next time.