Should I move to Seattle?

Recently, a friend of mine asked me if, as a former Seattle resident, he and his wife should move out there. I had a lot to say, and I thought I'd turn my conversation with him into a blog post. So, this question isn't for me. I am not considering moving back. However, here are my thoughts for anyone considering the move.

In general:

Seattle is a hip place with lots to do. People say that it’s hard to make friends (the “Seattle Freeze”), but I found the people nice enough. Many are glued to their headphones while on buses or walking down the street, so I think that's where the stigma comes from. Don't be pushy. Get a hobby or meet your work friends somewhere.

Jobs:

I think finding a job there is relatively easy. There are lots of cool companies to work for, especially tech ones. Amazon, Nintendo, Google and Facebook have offices there, Microsoft. The economy feels pretty great there, compared to the rest of America.

If you're considering working for Nintendo:

(my friend wanted to know about Nintendo specifically)

Friends of mine who worked for the Big N said they hire many positions in the telephone customer service (and they give those staff free systems to keep, too!). Nintendo is also not in Seattle proper, but Redmond, and it’s across Lake Washington. There are two bridges over that lake (it’s BIG), and one of the bridges (520, the closer one to the U-District) is often shut down. Commute across is not fun whatsoever.

The downside of Seattle:

Obviously, I suppose the big downside is that it rains from about the end of August to June (I heard the term “June-uary”), and I mean it rains and is covered in clouds nearly every single day. This tends to make people depressed, and not just because it’s wet, but the lack of sun deprives the body of certain things the brain needs. A doctor once said that women in particular are effected by this weather-related depression. You will see hundreds of people lying out at the parks shirtless when there is sun (I called it lizarding).

The upside of the weather is that it never gets very hot or cold, and the few months of summer are wonderful. It feels like you’re living in a real-life Skyrim. My unit had no AC. Also, electricity is cheap! I paid $16 bucks for two months, for real. I paid bi-monthly, it was so cheap.

There’s very little of snow (also, no thunder either), since it never gets all that cold. However, when it does hit, people are very clueless on the roads. I once was in a bus that tried to go up and hill and ended up sliding back down…

As far as religion and politics:

If you're a liberal freethinker, then you're in luck. Seattle is basically paradise. Almost everyone in Seattle is liberal.

I had one religious/conservative friend while in Seattle, and she constantly joked about being alone and surrounded by liberal crazies. Her assessment is truth. I didn’t meet many people of faith, and most were extreme liberal-types, more extreme than me. Most of the churches I noticed were the progressive kind that flew rainbow flags in the windows. It might be hard for someone of faith or Republican beliefs to meet like-minded people.

There are definitely a lot of free-range grass-fed gluten-free vegan cafes, if you get my drift. Very hipster.

Geek culture:

If you like video games, look forward to PAX Prime (but be aware that tickets sell out within the hour of going up). It’s the coolest convention for nerds. Geek culture thrives there. There is also the Emerald City Comic Con and an anime convention, which are excellent. Even though I don't like comics or anime, the conventions are fun to wander through and worth the time for any nerd. I also know that there are steampunk groups that hold tea parties and many pinball bars to go to.

The city vs. surroundings:

Seattle is different than many urban areas in America in one major way: When you go out of Seattle, it becomes wilderness. There’s not much civilization in the area around the city. This can be great if you like hiking and camping, but not great if you need a break from the city. If you get bored of the city and want to go somewhere a little slower, you're out of luck. Seattle is secluded. It's in a bubble of mountains with not much else, besides nature, around.

Where to live:

(my friend asked me about Lake City and the U-District in particular)

Both Lake City and U are good spots. Lake City is really nice, but expensive. I lived in the U-District (off a street known as “The Ave”) and I liked it. It is not a quiet neighborhood, as you might imagine. Lots of frats and late night parties. I never minded much, though. Also, drug dealers are everywhere, but it actually got better when they legalized pot and more people began buying it from the shops instead. Still, if you’re used to Chicago or STL then you’ll be fine. The “bad” neighborhoods in Seattle are like the nice neighborhoods in STL. When you look for a spot, look for where the popular streets are, so that you can find food/etc within walking distance. Otherwise traffic can be hectic for simple things.

Public transit is very nice and quick. I never had to wait very long. If you do move there, I suggest getting an ORCA card ordered and loaded so you’re ready to go! There’s a train/bus from the airport to wherever if you’re flying, and all of it takes ORCA. http://kingcounty.gov/depts/transportation/metro/fares-orca.aspx 

If you’re driving, prepare to pay about 21 bucks to park anywhere. I used https://www.doortodoor.com/ to move my possessions, and it was one of the best decisions I made. I totaled gas/milage for a truck, and it was nearly the same for me to get a pod and drive my own car.



Thanks for stopping by the blog. Feel free to send me a tweet and tell me what you think. BTW, I took every photograph on this post. 

Eclipse, A Poem By Harrison Aye

Eclipse by Harrison Aye

My kind of women doesn't need anyone,
it seems she'll wrap you 'round her pinkie while she dials with her thumb.
She'll step into the elevator without word from her mouth,
but let the door fully open before thinking of stepping out.

Can you read minds?
cause you're never around, (because you're never around)
except for these moments,
impetuous passerby,
from the corner of my eye.

You can eclipse most anything,
and set all the ocean's waves offbeat,
but this is no dissonant haiku,
I'm looking at the sky tonight,
Are you?

Your kind of face is just too hard to miss,
you've got a phasing cat smile,
and a strawberry kiss.
Your strut's illuminated,
only comes out at night.
Your paradox can put out the sun,
and bring out the brightest light.

Can you read minds?
cause you're never around,
except for these moments,
impetuous passerby,
from the corner of my eye.

You can eclipse most anything,
and set all the ocean's waves offbeat,
but this is no dissonant haiku,
I'm looking at the sky tonight,
Are you?

I enjoy rotation on this Earth,
but sometimes I wish I'd fall up into the sky.
When our paths cross I'd dream that you'd turn back toward me.
No, I wish that you'd turn back
with me.

I must find out if you read minds or eyes,
do you have that potential?
and what you think when you read mine.
Am I the passerby,
from the corner of your eye?
You can eclipse most anything,
and set all the ocean's waves offbeat,
but this is no dissonant haiku,
I'm looking at the sky tonight,
Are you?

Credits: Video, lyrics, music by Harrison Aye, guitar performed by Brian Wood, and drums performed by Scott Weber. This song can be purchased for a buck: http://gum.co/cCfOI

Notes: I wrote this poem because I kept crossing paths with this girl on my college's campus. I think I had love-at-first-sight, because everything she would walk by, I would be frozen with that tingly feeling. Some days, I would set out with nerve and the intention to finally talk with her, but I never saw her on those days. No, it seemed like she only ever walked by when I was least expecting it. I was never prepared, although, I did end up talking to her a few times. She started dating a friend of mine, though, but I never stopped having my secret crush for her. She was totally out of my league, anyway.

I was in several bands throughout my life, and usually any poetry I wrote would eventually be turned into a song. The video is a recording of that song, performed by some awesome area musicians, one of which leads an awesome band called LuxPerSono (https://www.facebook.com/luxpersono). I took the video at PAX Prime while I lived in Seattle. It is distorted mainly because I took the footage on my 3DS, but I find the low-quality perfect for a lyric video like this.

Thanks for stopping by my blog!
UNRAVELSPACE UNRAVELTIME

Life Update Blog – 21 December 2012 – APOCALYPSE EDDITION!

What’s up with me?

For the first year of my life in Seattle, I worked at a childcare center, in a room with 14 one-year-olds. It was depressing and hard work, but I survived. I quit, wrote a book, then got a new job.

also, I met this Lando guy, who produced a little movie called Avatar

It only took me 18 days to find work (which felt like record-time for finding a job).

I resumed writing like a mad man after my successful interview, and on October 21, I put an ending on my novel. It was definitely one of the top achievements of my life.

On October 23^rd, I started working at a Big Box Retail Store. I kept applying during my time there (I hate retail, but I wanted to start making money ASAP), to hopefully find something better, which I did. I jumped from that retail job after another successful interview, and now I am working for a local Movie Theatre. I’m getting almost full time hours there, and me and the wife are enjoying the benefits of having free movies whenever we want (which saves us a lot of $$$ on date nights, lol). Also, it’s kinda fun working for a Theatre, because it feels like putting on a show (I used to be a part of a few Dramatic Theatre groups).

At the moment, I’m working my ass off at the Movie Theatre and working my ass off on editing my novel in my free time. After I’ve finished my first set of edits, I’m going to send it to a few of my friends and get some feedback. As the feedback comes in, I will do more editing on my novel. Rinse and repeat, until it is a very shiny document.

Next year, I’m planning on beginning my writing career beyond just my novel. I don’t know exactly how that will happen. Not all of the details on that are complete, though I do have great leads. I know that finishing my novel was the important first step, for me. I had to get that out; the art was screaming at me to create it.

In any time I am not at the Movie Theatre, however, I know I want to try my hand at freelance writing to bring in some extra bucks. Having a job that keeps me late at night is good for this, as I write best in the mornings and during the day (so the day is my own). I want to have a side job, writing on my own time. I also want to build an online presence with social media and blogging. That part will increase for me once I’ve sent my novel out to my beta readers. 

not a brony, not a brony

I also want to start working on other writings, whether it is short stories, poetry, or another novel. I have ideas for all formats, but this is just another cut of my time (that will have to wait for my finished novel to be sent to my betas). For my art time, I know that getting my finished novel published will be the top priority.

Now that I work downtown again, I’ve been doing a lot of reading (I always read on the bus). I finished a friend’s novel, started on another friend’s novel, halfway through the Silmarillian, working on SK’s The Stand, and have dabbled in JKR’s The Casual Vacancy. I’m a spastic reader, and I usually read a bunch of books all at once (for my different moods).

So, that’s me now and my immediate future. You have been updated, officially.

Thanks for stopping by my blog!
UNRAVELSPACE UNRAVELTIME