View From The Top

Often times here in Seattle I feel as though I am looking up at things. This could be a result of the fact that we only live on the second floor of a seven story apartment complex, or maybe it has something to do with the looming sky scrapers that intimidate me each and every time I find myself walking the busy streets of downtown. Or maybe, just maybe it has to do with the fact that I'm new to this city and still trying to build my own self- from the ground up. Regardless, as a generally tall person it is weird to find myself in this situation, and to be honest, it sure gets exhausting looking up all the time.

Although, today for the first time in a long time, I found myself looking down on things, seeing the city from up above. And as I perched high above the world and peered down on life, I realized that the distance from the bottom to the top is not always as far as it seems. Where I am now and where I want to be in life, in the future, in this city, are closer than I originally thought. It's a beautiful thing when you realize that you are in the right place at the right time. And though things aren't always the way you expected or hoped and dreamed that they would be, looking at your life from a different point of view, from up above the madness and the noise is quite refreshing. And it sure as hell feels better on your neck.

Soft Wind in Seattle.

Girls Night In.

After a wild weekend mingling with young professionals at swanky downtown bars, dancing and sipping vodka sodas (or roofie coladas in some cases), and begging a cab driver to get us home for a fourth meal at the burger joint next door before closing time, sometimes a night in is just what the doctor ordered.

Tonight the four of us sprawled out across our overstuffed red couch, rehashing our weekend, sharing big plastic cups of much needed water, munching on gummies or any chocolate we could scrounge up around the apartment, and we just were. With no agenda (besides the Hills premier in the prime time slot of course) we found ourselves laughing together, making fun of each other, and more often than not, finishing one another's sentences. It was a lazy night. A calm night, one not to be interrupted by phone calls, take home work, or boys, with the exception of Taylor's newly "official" boyfriend Brooks, who swung by with a bouquet of flowers for her, just because. After his visit, I've come to the conclusion that Brooks is one of the smartest guys i've ever met, be-lining for the door once he saw the copious amounts of candy, the ridiculously trashy television shows on our TV, and our overall terrible wardrobe choices that consisted of blouses worn to work paired with mens sweatpants worn- well, who the hell knows where. Maybe Brooks would have stayed, had the fumes from the new "trendy" grey nail polish we were applying not been strong enough to give even the hardest of heads a migraine, regardless, I believe he recognized our need to just be and left as quickly as he came.

As conversation flowed from flowers to future trips, spray tans to summer sun, I found myself appreciating the time on the couch, the effortlessness of the night, and the comfy mens sweatpants I was wearing. Making time for each other is easy to do on the weekends when everyone is down to release some stress, grab a drink (and a dude or two), and head out, but nights like tonight are often far and few between when work happens. When school happens. When life happens. Tonight I found myself enjoying the conversation, the simplicity of the nights events, the company, and the comfort of our own home. And even though we all now have the same nail polish color on our hands, headaches from the fumes and the sugar overload, and no intention of moving from the couch to our own respective beds, tonight was a much needed break. A break from the bright lights, the wild nights, and the craziness that is life.

Don't get me wrong though... this break does not necessarily mean we won't be racing the clock to get to the burger joint next door for a little late night snack in a matter of minutes.

Sip of Seattle

The Story of Us.

The tangled web of how the four of us met is far too confusing and much too long for one blog post. So I will just tell you this, where we all come from and where we are all going are four very unique and different places, and in the whole scheme of things, the past and the future are unimportant. We live for the present. And in doing so, we find beauty daily in the simplest of things. Be it a good sunset and a great glass of wine, watching the cherry blossoms bloom in the city, or even the honor of becoming a "regular" at the corner coffee shop, it is the little things that make up so much of our happiness here in Seattle. With that being said, let me tell you a few of the little things about my three friends, with the intent being to show you why looking at even the greyest of skies can be beautiful with them by my side.

Taylor: Nothing this girl does is little. She confronts life head on and does everything in the most extreme of ways. Whether it be kicking ass and taking names (and promotions) at her hot-shot corporate job or creating a charcoal masterpiece that even DaVinci would smile at while just "sketching for fun", she never ceases to amaze me with her many talents, doing most of them on a total of three hours of sleep. Having lived with her before, I am finally beginning to grow accustomed to her oddities, those little quirks we all have that take others some time to figure out. For instance, I am now aware that the gangster rap blasting from her room down the hall does not necessarily mean she is in a vengeful or bad mood, in actuality she is probably just listening to the lyrics while contemplating the meaning of life and lighting incense. Taylor is a person that makes me question the things that I want out of my own life actually. She is constantly challenging herself to learn and grow and I am completely perplexed as to where she will be in ten years. And after spending an embarrassingly long time contemplating her very bright future, I see it as going one of two ways. Either she will be the VP of her current corporation, eating off silver platters, donating millions of dollars and much of her time to developing nations, and ridin' dirty in some private plane (that she better make available to me at all times) or she will be living abroad, speaking twelve languages, and designing organic clothing or something totally off the wall like that. Regardless, I know that whatever she does, Taylor will do with passion. Passion and three hours of sleep. Because when you face every day as a gift like she does, time is not to be wasted with your eyes closed.

Madison: Having gone to college with this girl in California, both of us can attest to the fact that Seattle has some pretty big shoes to fill. And when this city doesn't fill them or lets me down, when the clouds won't seem to go away, and when I can't seem to find a dive bar or a carne asada burrito that even comes close to comparing, Madison is there to be that little piece of sunshine that I need. Maybe it's her blonde hair (which recently got blonder... meaning summer is coming!) or her genuine smile, but having her in this city with me is a breath of fresh air. Literally. I feel like I can breathe around her, or heavily sigh, or not breathe at all if I want to. And often times I actually can't breathe when I'm with her because air tends to be hard to come by when you are laughing so hard it hurts. Though she tends to be self-conscious about her sense of humor, she doesn't really need to say much to make me laugh. Her brutal honesty is enough. That and her heinously funny faces that are definitely a close second to my own. Madison is the type of person that wants to make sure everyone is happy and comfortable, even if that means wearing a Chinese charm necklace on the day that she is showing an open house to an Asian couple on the Eastside. Being the fabulous real estate agent that she is, Madison has the ability to persuade like nobody's business. Sometimes using it to her advantage, convincing me to do things I wouldn't normally do such as take body shots or eat pasta made out of vegetables and one hundred percent wheat bread that is darker than night. She is a true friend through and through, and I love watching her grow and discover who she is and what she wants out of life (and out of dudes). And at the end of the day, I am always thankful knowing that I have a sidekick and a little piece of that California sunshine.

Darcy: There is something to be said about growing up with someone. Maybe it's the many years and many changes, getting to know each other's families, or just being able to keep each other grounded and held accountable, whatever it is, it runs deep. As does my love for Darcy. After watching each other tackle high school and its dramas, family and their issues, boyfriends and their lack of intelligence, understanding, and commitment, we have come out on top. Hand in hand. Growing apart during college and then growing back together again as we both pursue our dreams here in Seattle away from our hometowns and college towns. I seek refuge in Darcy and her simplicities. And though I don't understand how she keeps so many things and feelings inside that head of hers, much can be said through her silence. She is a careful person, thinking through her words before she speaks them, something that my loud mouth could probably learn a few things from. But when she laughs, its like light is pouring out of her and every person in the room has to laugh as well. It is that laugh that has carried us through the years, through the good times, the bad times, and everything in between. Watching her life progress has been such a ride, and selfishly I am so happy for multiple reasons that she has figured it all out and followed her heart here to Seattle for art school. One being that I have her as my partner in crime daily, and two being that I get first dibs on her first fashion line which I already know will be internationally recognized as soon as she quits being shy about her amazing ability to sketch and create. Growing up with Darcy, I could never have guessed that the crazy, perky pony-tailed girls who used to sneak into bars together in Idaho every summer would end up here, sophisticated, stylish, and still sneaking into bars (on occasion) in the big city. I guess some things never change. And for that, I am thankful.

As for myself, you'll learn about me as time goes on, just as I am learning about myself more and more with each day that passes. I know who I was and I know who I want to become. But for now, I am just working on who I am in this moment. I am living each day as it comes, searching for the beauty in it, and finding those simple things in my friends, in this city, in life that truly make me happy.

A Place for Trendsetters

Once upon a time, four girls found themselves sitting on an over-stuffed red couch, drinking $4 champagne out of mismatched wine glasses, talking life, loss, and love (or lack there of). That time was actually this evening, and those girls, my friends. The four of us live in Seattle, Washington, the portal to the Pacific, home of the Seattle Mariners, Ivars Seafood Bars, and the birthplace of Costco. Definitely all things to be proud of. Or at least I like to think so.

We live in an apartment right in the thick of things. East of downtown on trendy Capitol Hill, which has enough culture to be its own country, really. Fitting in up here means wearing anything from neon mesh lingerie to black trench coats and dog collars for a casual stroll to the grocery store. In fact, our very own apartment is advertised as "A Place for Trendsetters" on huge posters in the lobby windows. To be honest, every time I see the signs I nearly get hives, as the weight of that title really stresses me out. I guess i'm just still trying to figure out what trend I want to set and how much I should make my roommates pay me to take it public. Enough to pay for the liquid courage i'd need to have before setting foot on Broadway Avenue in lingerie at least.

In a city that is so diverse, full of culture, life, and no doubt- trendsetters, one would think that finding your place here would be quick and painless. However, I've come to find that a girl can really get lost in this city. Being fairly new to Seattle means that sometimes the skyscrapers close in on you and the sound swallows you whole. Not even dying your hair green, shaving a mohawk and wearing ass-less chaps will get you the attention you crave, the attention you deserve, as the guy sitting next to you on the city bus is probably wearing an equally ridiculous outfit.

And certainly as single twenty-something year old girls in the city, looking for legitimate guys to give you that attention is out of the question. According to the 2000 US census, single men outnumber single women in Seattle in every age group until 45 (cougar status... guess that makes sense). But I personally would like to know why all the single ladies didn't fill out their census ten years ago? Maybe it was too embarrassing to check that single box, or maybe they were too busy prowling the streets to find a mate, either way they have given the rest of us single girls false hopes for the past ten years. And though I have only been in Seattle a short time, I can already vouch for the fact that there is a definite lack of intelligent, eligible, single guys here or if they are here and the census isn't lying, those guys are hiding in the most unlikely of places. Either way, I can say with utmost sincerity that I filled out my census last month, put aside my pride, and checked the single box. Just doing my part for generations to come.

My point in all of this being, thank heavens for friends. They give me the attention I need, when I need it, and visa versa. Forget having a boyfriend, or a really great job. A co-worker's sympathy only goes so far when I spill an entire coffee down my white blouse before a big meeting. Not that I necessarily have a job that would require me to wear a white blouse, or attend a big meeting, or even a job for that matter. But seriously, when my illegally parked car gets towed because the City finally figures out my grand plan and realizes that the ticket on my windshield is from last week, not today, or when I get lost on the way to a first date and show up thirty minutes late sweating, flustered, and frantic, my friends are the ones to pick up the pieces at the end of the day. And believe me, usually there's a lot of them. Someone once said "Nothing of me is original. I am the combined effort of everyone i've ever known." And though I believe this to be absolutely true, I feel that some people, namely, Darcy, Madison, and Taylor (because of our close proximity, great friendship, and endless attention giving) make up quite large pieces of my life at the moment.

My name is Allie and this is my blog. However, the stories found here are those of the everyday occurrences in the lives of Darcy, Madison, Taylor and myself. Four very different girls searching for very different things together amongst the busy streets and blinding lights of Seattle. This is the written documentation of our lives as we venture off our over-stuffed red couch to face life, loss, and love (or lack there of) in the city. And who knows, maybe we'll even become trendsetters along the way.