"When you grow up in Seattle, 'cool'is just something that envelops you."
What’s a black Friday for me? The biggest shopping day of the year of course but also a triumph of my imagination, especially since I never got the chance to experience one. I’m Italian, and Black Fridays just like our “Halloween” are just a rough copy, like a poorly-executed Italian Version of great American Traditions. Anyways, Black Friday is the day following Thanksgiving Day in the United States (the fourth Thursday of November) and as luck would have it, I ended up tilting the other way around, all-the-times. While I was staying in Seattle for example, I’ve celebrated my first Thanksgiving. It is full of traditions that reflect various pieces of American history, Native Americans, Pilgrims, and the feast that time embellished.. Turkeys, squashes, parades, and pumpkins.
Thanksgiving is about giving thanks and I learned a deeper meaning for the word “Thank You”. Meal was a unique and new combination of flavors to try out for me, I was hesitant, but my friend Dawn, encouraged me to join the DIT guys for dinner and experiment new stuff, Perfect Roast Turkey,Sweet Potato Casserole, Turkey Grave, and Pumpkin Pie – (Today, it’s a memory I treasure and truly appreciate, I’m really thankful and blessed for the encouragement she gave me, especially because of the severe allergy to poultry I’m suffering of today. Yeeeap… I know it sucks, but since 2016 I’ve got this weird allergy to deal with, and it’s really serious, no cure and it’s known as 2nd rarest allergy in the world…but let’s talk about this hot-topic next)
We lost track of time, kinda… We celebrated Thanksgiving for longer than 48 hours. In the meantime I had the opportunity to stay at the AVA Apartments in Ballard, where I moved for some personal reasons, before my final departure back to Italy. I had no idea what to expect – but I must say this building has completely won my heart. Unless you want to experience the typical college kid stuff from Tv Series and Shows, AVA Ballard in 5555 14th Ave NW, Seattle is the way to go. The apartment was modern and laid out well. The units mirror the beauty and quality of the common spaces. The building has some very eclectic and eccentric art with the paint cans. The 2nd floor community room is cool with the old school arcade games. The amenities at AVA are also terrific. There are two rooftop BBQs, and two downstairs in the courtyard. It is cosy at night, with the lamps and the fire going. Before dinner, we all went to the rooftop and I will never forget the feeling of sacred that got me, along with a cold, hollow feeling too.
It happened when I was looking around, when you get a light mist, low clouds, the wind that starts blowing the salty breeze up, into the high, far, green trees, over Salmon Bay. You ever get that feeling like… you’re part of something bigger than you can understand? Night was falling overhead, the cars’ headlights pierce the darkness as sharply as farmers’ scythes harvesting the grain in June, Upscale advertising were shining with red and golden lights from downtown and lot of people were driving toward the Ballard Bridge on the 15th Ave NW, finally entering North Queen Anne. I felt like ready to take on the world, feeling so accomplished for having “made it” in the city. Seattle was there, within reach, at my fintertips, yet the next hour/minute/second, all of the surroundings (taxis, beeping, people) made me want to burst into tears on the spot. It’s not that I was failing at city life, It was just a reminder for me saying “You’re Human”. Sometimes I think that Seattle have opened a crack into my humanity. I’m aware of my Humanity.
Calm Down. Take a knee.Root yourself in this present moment now.What do you feel?
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