Day Trip To Seattle

 Last week I had an amazing day in Seattle.

You know what that means, right?

Yep, I want to live there now.

It started downtown with an informational with someone I really admire from a company that I would love to work for. After an hour chat, I walked through downtown and PIKE Place Market to get back to our hotel, with a coffee stop along the way of course. Once I met up with my mom we started a journey through Belltown and Lower Queen Ann to find the perfect apartment for my older sister who is moving there in a month.

PAUSE

After meeting up with my mom but prior to looking at apartments, we stopped at my favorite sandwich stop that is popular around the Bay Area and has a few Seattle locations.

RESUME

Apartment hunting can be hit or miss, mostly miss. But after a few stops I found "The One!". Perfect one bedroom; pet friendly, secure, fireplace, stainless steel appliances, roof top deck with views of the Space Needle, a block away from 24Hr Fitness and directly above Safeway. After calling Ashley and confirming that this place was perfect, she submitted her application and now we wait to see if she gets it.

I am looking forward to expanding the perfect job search into Seattle and having a couch to crash on. July 1st just can't come fast enough though.

In the meantime, I have a couple of interviews this week for smaller design studios. I'll save my opinions for after decisions are made but one thing is for sure... as much as I may dislike working in retail, I am not in any rush to settle. I know what I like and what I want.

Morning Coffee Chats

I absolutely love informational interviews and have been amazed at the generosity of seasoned professionals to give up their time to someone like me. In an hours time you not only to get to make a new connection but learn about their paths, share interest and advice, and, my favorite, find that inspiration to succeed.

Within the past couple of weeks I have been able to meet with two people who I have been dying to meet for months. The hardest part is making the ask and praying you don't get the rejection or cold shoulder.

Today I met with a Senior Planner from my favorite agency who has lived a career I am quite envious of; worked in my top two agencies and cities and gone to the masters school which I think highly of. Within minutes I found out our paths have been similar (hers just slightly more awesome)... originally she thought art direction was her future but wasn't satisfied so she explored media planning and then found account planning. Listening to her tell me about what her days are like and types of project she works on were confirmations of the decisions I am making.

Whether I find myself getting my masters in a year in a half or working my way up from the mail room, I know that strategy and planning is an area I can and will excel. It is now a matter of being patient and preparing myself for whatever may present itself. I just wish it could happen... yesterday!

Hello Monday...

Hello Monday... only 5 days until Saturday.

It has been 7 weeks since I have had a free Saturday. When living in San Jose, Monday's were my favorite day to have a day off. I had the perfect routine down pat but now thinking back on it, I enjoyed Mondays so much because I also had Saturdays off as well. In the world of retail, Saturdays are suppose to be your most fruitful day but they are my biggest nightmare. Thankfully, this month I have a Saturday free and I have been planning how I am going to fill it for weeks...

Farmers Market

There isn't much I love more than fresh local produce. One of my favorite hobbies is bringing only $20 and seeing what I can buy to create an amazing meal.

Collaboration over Mexican Food

I will always love create designs but it isn't what I want my career to be focused on. That doesn't stop others from asking me to create branding for them. I am very excited to be meeting with a very talented production student from the Art Academy to concept branding for his company as well as a marketing plan he is working on.

Lambic Movie Night

Peach Belgium Beer and Movies. It can't get much better than that. I have a feeling this night might morph into something else but I'm hoping it will stay.

Downtown Loft with a Doorman

Sometimes I forget that I have downsized from a lush 2 bedroom downtown apartment to a great room in my parents house.

The other day I found this great illustration of "24 Hours in New York" that matches the style of what I call my "reading corner" of my new pad. I had a quick lapse of memory when I first saw it and gasped "Holy cow, I have the perfect room for this!" which was quickly met with "You only have one room for this."

There might have been a few seconds of a racing heartbeat and shortness of breathe but then I remembered I have the amazing rent of $Free.99 and an occasional home cooked meal. I have to keep reminding myself that I finally have my reading corner and although, my door doesn't close and people barge in at all times, I have my favorite furniture in my own little studio with a walk in closet.

Plus, technically... I have a doorman and dog walker. [But don't mention that to my parents or else my rent may be increasing!] And for a girl who doesn't dream of the large yard and white picket fence but instead a downtown loft with a doorman, I'm halfway there!

Finding Time

My schedule has taken on a life of its own and I am finding less and less time free to do the things I once loved. I have been writing, drawing, reading, socializing etc... less and my few hours available are spent catching up on that may have been missed. [sleep, tv, blogs/tweets] It feels as though I am 3 days behind on everything.

Knowing that I won't survive without some time to be inspired, I am placing myself on a rigid inspiration diet:

• Wake up by 7am each morning. This may seem like nothing to you but as a night owl this will be my hardest move. There will be no more wasting my day, especially when my evening is filled with work.
• Do one thing a week I love. What a sacrifice right? For me, this usually means reading in a coffeeshop or visiting the park. Today, I'm doing both. I only have 1 free day a week and I have been using it to catch up on life but then I feel like I am living this robotic life with no freedom. For one day, the daily routine can wait.
• Connect. Surround myself with interesting people.

This week I have 2 days off, today and Thursday. I was up bright and earlier this morning and spent the best part of the day running a few errands (cough cough shopping cough), reading in my favorite coffeeshop (Lovejoy Bakers) and laying in the park. I couldn't have asked for a better treat. I can't wait for Thursday and am hoping for a repeat of today.

One of my favorite parks that is just around the corner from Lovejoy Bakers.

This picture is hard to see, but while out the park I spent some time putting together my inspiration diet. This is my notebook and pen. Just squint your eyes and it will come to you.

Dear Life, are you:

The last post was originally posted on my main blog nearly 3 months ago. In that time I feel like life has been a slow motion whirlwind.

Does that even make sense?

Everything has been going opposite of plan, in achingly slow pace and yet… it’s May! Where did all this time go?

Since that last post:

• I settled into Portland
• Have been through countless interviews: Some great, some good, some awful
• Taken on an interim job to keep me clothed and fed
• Explored much of this new city
• Met many interesting people
• Fallen in love with NW culture

At the same time:

I miss the Bay Area. Partly, I miss the idea of San Francisco and Silicon Valley. My favorite places and local spots, being familiar and home. Mostly, I miss my amazing friends.

Being back in the same circles and city as my parents, I am no longer an individual but Ray & Linda’s daughter. After 7 years of being strictly Danielle, I feel like I am a little kid again. My parents are great and I have been truly blessed by them, the only people who seem to think of me this way are the people my age. I thought being in my mid twenties meant I was an adult… in the end, these kids will learn to love me. Or I’ll just bribe them. Either way, they win. :-)