2 down, 4 to go

Fun fact of the day: the photo shop in Skagway is called NORTHERN EXPOSURES. Get it?!

I should also mention that my cabin is in the very front of the ship, which means it feels like a game of bumper cars every time we sail through Tracy Arm Fjord. When the boat hits all the mini glaciers that have broken off in the water, it feels like they’re right next to my head. I was already awake, it’s just a very strange experience to have to get used to.

Working on a cruise ship is like being in a constantly revolving door. Every Friday, new people sign on and as many people sign off. Someone you just met on Tuesday could be going home on Friday – it starts to become the norm after a while. Especially since I’m only here for 6 weeks (most people are here for 6 months at a time), everything seems very temporary. You become close with your ‘sign-on buddies’ – the people who you will usually be with for 6 months. All of the performers rehearsed for 3 weeks in London, flew over together, and have been performing and living together for 5 months. I know the band has changed a lot for my fellow band members who have been here for a few months. It’s hard to get a groove going, especially within musical ensembles – every ensemble has a different vibe, and it takes a while to adjust to new players and styles. It’s always sad when you find out that a friend is living in a few short weeks.

Of course, one of the awesome things about working on a cruise ship is getting to meet people from all over the world. The almost 1,000-person crew represents 57 different nationalities. All of the performers are British, and so I spend the most time with people from the UK.

Today we had a meeting with one of the Vice Presidents of Hotel Operations from Royal Carribbean’s headquarters in Miami (Royal Caribbean Cruise Line [RCCL] owns Celebrity, Royal Caribbean, and Azamara Cruises). He goes on ships a lot to assess the overall guest experience, and then talks to us about it. Overall he was very complimentary, and stressed the importance of crew/guest interactions in improving the guest experience. It’s been strange and new for me to have a sort-of ‘front-row seat’ in a huge, corporate world. Of course, the crew is an integral part of what Royal Caribbean is presenting as their package, and we have duties and privileges to that end. There is a lot of communication from the Miami office to our leadership teams, and we are kept apprised of new branding, marketing, itineraries, rules, etc. For example, a new brand being introduced on the Infinity is called Celebrity Life: savor, discover, renew. To that end, each area has a crew member from the Cruise Director’s Staff who represents those activities. Savor activities are led by the ‘Foodie’, and renew activities are led by the ‘Guru.’ These special activities are represented by certain symbols in the daily itinerary which guests receive in their cabin each day. It’s basically just a trademark tool, but it’s an example of some of the ways in which Celebrity is trying to rebrand and expand their package. The ratings system is quite comprehensive at Royal Caribbean – guests evaluate their cruise each week, and we get the results back at the ship within 48 hours (We have ~3,000 passengers weekly). It’s a huge operation and most of the time I can’t figure out how the ship runs 24/7, even with its ~1,000 crew members. It’s been fascinating being a part of their system, and also cool to be able to deliver some of that experience to its customers.

I had a gorgeous day in Victoria, British Columbia – I walked along the waterfront to the downtown area and back just as the sun was setting. Victoria is a large, lovely urban center, filled with shops, restaurants, Starbucks, and a buzzing waterfront. Victoria is known for the Butchart Gardens, which I plan to explore with my family when they cruise in 3 weeks! Everything is really expensive…my gelato, for example was $7.78. Thank you, Canada. It’s a beautiful port and the only one we get to experience at night as we play shows or sets every other night. It’s also a busy night as the guests are packing and getting their luggage together to debark very early tomorrow morning. I can’t believe another cruise is already over! Friday – Friday really flies by.

It's the Little Things

Last night I had the pleasure of experiencing Casual Dining. (It’s the little things you appreciate when you’ve been eating at the pasta station for 9 days straight…) Casual Dining is a little mini-restaurant on Deck 10, where all the other buffet stations are. Crew have to fill out a request to dine there, usually 48 hours in advance. Some friends of mine had filled out a request for 4 diners and needed a 4th, so I came along. It was nice to dress up and be served. I have to admit, it’s sometimes hard watching these passengers get wined and dined while we can’t enjoy any of the amazing privileges we see all around us. But, as Ellen would say, why would I PAY to go on a cruise when I can get someone to pay ME to go on a cruise? The job certainly has its perks but ultimately you are there to serve the paying guests, so it’s nice to be served for a change. The meal includes an appetizer, soup, salad, entrée, and dessert – all for the mere price of a $2 tip (I told you the job has its perks). But of course the view was the best part; we had an amazing sail away from Ketchikan.

This morning I woke up early and got to see the tail end of the Tracy Arm Fjord (see picture). Seeing a glacier live and in living color is pretty incredible. The Fjord also has a lot of floating ice - some pieces as large as a 3-story building and others that are just bite size. We cruise (very slowly and carefully) through Stephen's Passage to be able to view the Fjord. Tracy Arm is an area covering almost 700,000 acres, and is full of active glaciers. A glacier is a perennial mass of ice which moves over land. A glacier forms where there is a massive accumulation of snow and ice. Glaciers provide the largest reservoir of fresh water on Earth. Glacial ice gets its blue tint from the absorption of red light due to molecular overtones.

Favorite passenger question of the day (on formal gala night) : “If we forgot our clothes, can we still eat?”

Ketchikan #2

iBroadway went much smoother tonight than last week’s shows. I initially rolled my eyes at all the Phantom, Cats, Sound of Music, and Oklahoma they use in the show, but the truth is the audience LOVES it and would probably not know as much Spring Awakening. They do have a nice Defying Gravity section though – as a duet. And of course, Send in the Clowns. I also love how Barbara Streisand is the ONLY house music they play in the theater. Seriously, I love it.

I keep conducting myself through sections of the music which I should really stop doing. I don’t think the audience can tell though…

The Infinity was just got the highest rating of the year in Entertainment and Live Music throughout the whole fleet! Of course I’m attributing it to my arrival.
This morning we had our weekly crew boat drill and an additional smoke drill. We have to walk through a simulated smoke-filled corridor…it was as bizarre as it sounds. Luckily I have the rest of the day/night off and I’m out enjoying Ketchikan! 2 down, 4 to go.

For Love Not Money

Today I woke up feeling extremely sea-sick, but the show must go on. I was the pianist for “Elegant Tea” – a private tea party for Captain’s Club (frequent cruisers) members from 4-5 in the main dining room. I improvised mostly and played some jazz charts. It was pretty much torture considering my state of nausea but when I was finished, this Indian family came up to me and told me their son was very interested in piano. He was 8, completely adorable, and had just learned Ode to Joy (pretty impressive). I asked him if he wanted to play the piano and all the cameras came flying out. He played Ode to Joy for the dining room staff – several times. I used to be this awe-inspired 8-year-old (I still am, most of the time) and I can vividly remember the pianists on cruises (and elsewhere) who made me want to be a pianist. I probably “wasn’t allowed” to let him play the piano but I would’ve thought I was the coolest kid on the planet if a cruise pianist let me play. I have a feeling I’ll have a new friend this cruise…

I played another set in the Cova Café for 45 minutes for the passengers’ “listening pleasure.” It’s nice when passengers wander in and sit for 20 minutes and applaud your noodling. I find people in general LOVE musicians, and pianist especially. Everyone has a story, everyone used to play, and everyone wishes they had kept up with it. I’ve never had someone come up me and say, “I stopped playing when I was 12 and I’m really glad.” Music truly is a universal language and it’s always nice to be the entertainment. It’s hard to be the entertainment 24/7, of course, but I think it’s a pretty sweet gig.

iBroadway tonight! I’m excited. So is that 8-year-old boy.

Seattle

I had such a great changeover day in Seattle! I had to go through immigration at 5:30AM (okay, that part wasn’t so great) and then I had until 2:30 to enjoy a beautiful day in Seattle. It was nice to know the area and find my own way around. I fell in love with Seattle when I visited the first time and my love has only grown. PLUS the Red Sox were in town and there were Boston fans everywhere! A nice taste of home.
I went to my first passenger emergency drill today – these cruises are sold out, and we’re just packing passengers onto Deck 4. It’s pretty hilarious – passengers are still drinking the cocktails they were handed upon boarding, and everyone is lost and/or has a question. Our favorite question from today’s emergency boat drill: “We have dinner seating at 6:00 – do you know where exactly the boat will be by then?”
No, sir, no I don’t. I just play the piano.

Another favorite is the “Elite” card holder who feels he has been on enough cruises to be able to lead the boat drill. By all means…

We had rehearsal for tonight’s welcome aboard show. The shows were so much easier tonight – second time around! The biggest improvement for me was being more comfortable with the click track and being able to anticipate the tempo/meter changes. It’s only my second round of shows but I feel for the other performers who have been doing this show twice a week for 4, 5, 6 months.

We had a beautiful sail-away from Seattle today – we really lucked out with the weather. It was the first time I was able to watch us sail away from Seattle, and the views of the city are spectacular. It was also a perfect day for Mount Rainier viewing, which many crew and passengers were doing for the first time. Seattle is such a great port city. This week we have passengers from Holland and Switzerland. As our cruise director pointed out, the Swiss have traveled all the way across the Atlantic ocean to see snow-covered mountains…hmmm…

Victoria, British Columbia

It’s the last day of my first cruise! 1 down, 5 to go. This week was the busiest, and once I get my bearings the subsequent weeks will be much more calm. This morning we have what’s called “Waves”; the whole crew assembles in the theater to wave goodbye to the passengers. We then had rehearsal for our farewell show, which includes the orchestra, comedian, and magicians on board. We sailed into beautiful Victoria, British Columbia at 7pm. The view at night was just gorgeous. We ate dinner waterfront a cute little café (with wi-fi, of course) where we give them American money and they give us Canadian change (good thing I’ll be back 5 times). The beautiful Butchart Gardens are here in Victoria, but I’m going to save that tour for when my family comes in August!! It was nice to be out in port at night and not have to play tonight.

Day 6

Today we’re at sea all day on our way to British Columbia. I enjoyed some dolphin sightings at breakfast! The sea was rough and it was the first time that I felt sea sick. It’s pretty hard to play jazz piano when you’re feeling dizzy…
I played piano with the drums and bass at the Jazz Brunch this morning in the restaurant. We then played for the Captain’s Club Celebration – a private party for (VERY) frequent cruisers. We got to enjoy some delicious food and drink after that. This evening we played for the Baked Alaska “Parade” – on the second formal night, the cruise director introduces the restaurant staff who then all dance around with flaming Baked Alaska while we play “When the Saints Go Marching In.” A good time was had by all. After two Baked Alaska parades we played a new show called “Live At Sky.”It’s a 1940s-themed show and is basically an interactive dance party. It’s a really fun show for the audience (and us too!). After the show they brought out a huge birthday cake for Celebrity – it’s their 20th anniversary this year!

Day 5

This morning we had the weekly crew drill - it was freezing out on the decks! We docked in Skagway early but I had to take my Safety Quiz, move rooms (I’m now rooming with our awesome trombonist, Lauren) and go to tech rehearsal for a new show on board called “Live at Sky.”
I finally got out to Skagway around 6pm and was met by raging winds and our coldest weather yet! The average temperature in July is 58 degrees. Whoo. Skagway (population: 872) is much different than our previous ports – it’s the northern most we’ve been, and its known for its hiking by the Yukon Valley. They literally had to build a road to get from the cruise docks to the town. It’s very tiny BUT there’s a STARBUCKS!! Well, not a Starbucks exactly, but some store that BREWS and SELLS Starbucks coffee. My grande latte was about a bagillion dollars but it was totally worth it =) I walked around some and saw some cute little stores (all of which were closed by now). My favorite sign: OPEN 10-5ish. Again, welcome to Alaska. I’ve been told there’s some pretty spectacular hiking in Skagway so I might need to gear up for that in the coming weeks.
I’ve been enjoying a lot of great music on board and I’m so grateful for the opportunity to enjoy such great entertainment 24/7! And that my job is to play the piano. Yay.

Day 4

I can’t believe it’s already Day 4! I have no real concept of what day of the week it is, and it’s hard to keep track of time because we go forward and back an hour each cruise! Today we’re still on Alaskan time, which is 1 hour behind Pacific Standard Time. On Day 4 of this cruise the ship sails through Tracy Arm Fjord from 6-10AM (we don’t dock), which I was told is worth getting up for. The ship goes much slower through these glaciers. I had every intention of waking up at 7AM, but by the time I actually rose at 9AM I had missed most of the glaciers. The scenery was still fantastic though – lots of ice caps that have fallen off the glaciers were in the water (which I could feel us sailing through last night/this morning) and the tree-covered, snow-capped mountains that surround the water are breathtaking. The tiny icebergs in the water almost look like Styrofoam, and they’re everywhere! It’s pretty amazing to wake up, look out your window, and see icebergs as far as the eye can see. This morning, from the gym, I saw an orca whale! Have I mentioned I love my job? The scenery is just incredible…anyone who has thought about cruising to Alaska: you must!
2pm: We sail into Juneau, Alaska’s capital. Temperature is about 66 degrees – I wore a T-shirt! Juneau is pretty much like Ketchikan, only slightly bigger (it is the state capital, after all). We went in search of free wireless and then walked around a bit. I saw the state capital building and…that’s about it. There is a tram which goes up gorgeous mountain ranges – I’ll check that out one of these weeks.
That night we played another production show: Boogie Wonderland. It’s a lot of disco music and medleys from the 70s/80s (the Rod Stewart medley is my favorite). I’m on keyboard again for this show, with lots of different sound patches (click track again as well). It’s a lot of fun music, and the audiences love hearing the familiar tunes.

Ketchikan

Today the ship docked in Ketchikan, Alaska at about 6am. I woke up to gorgeous blue skies and decided I had to explore Ketchikan since it supposedly rains ALL the time! I walked around the city for about an hour (it’s very tiny) and enjoyed the unseasonably warm weather. We are one of three cruise boats docked in this port, and we’re only here until 4pm this afternoon. Ketchikan is also known as the salmon capitol of the world, and there are salmon symbols/figures/restaurants/shops EVERYWHERE (Ketchikan comes from the native name for the salmon-abundant stream in town). It’s a lovely coastal town, and the main attraction is the Lumberjack show (admission for crew is $1 – I think I’ll have to check it out next week) – turns out lumberjacking is a highly competitive sport. I went to get some coffee (of course) and the one woman working there was on the phone for approximately 5 minutes while I waited to order, and then told me all about her conversation with her sister when she unapologetically got off the phone….this is just one of the many unique things about Alaska, I imagine…

The landscape is filled with evergreen trees and snow-capped mountains. The town is so small that its local paper only comes out once a week (as our Cruise Director says, the ship casts a shadow that covers the whole town). The zip code is 99901….pretty much as far away as you can get from my 01970 east coast zip code! There seem to be 4 main roads in Ketchikan: Main Street, Dock Street, Front Street, and Creek Street…you get the idea. Ketchikan also boasts the world’s largest collection of totem poles. Some other shore excursions are fishing and sailing/flying through Misty Fjords.

I had some more trainings to complete today so I didn’t have much time to explore Ketchikan, but I’ll have more to report next week. Tonight we have two big band sessions in the Rendezvous Lounge and a late-night Jazz Jam. We pass through Tracy Arm at 6am tomorrow and I’ve been told it’s worth getting up for!

iBroadway

iBroadway deserves a post of its own. ‘iBroadway’ – a medley of EVERY SINGLE SHOW TUNE EVER WRITTEN – is show #2 on board the Infinity. The house was PACKED for this show – most likely near 1,ooo people (no pressure). It’s a full-scale, elaborate production with lights, sets, and costumes galore. The performers are working it out there for a solid hour, twice each night – and the audience loves it! They sing and clap along to almost everything. There is also a video projection that accompanies maybe a quarter of the tunes.

I’m playing keyboard for this show which is vastly different from the piano I played last night. The keyboard is pre-programmed (thank goodness) with all the different sound patches (about 15 in total) – all I have to do is increase the patch. The click track is still foreign to me – it’s hard to anticipate time changes, meter changes, etc. And in this show there is a TON of music (19 medleys) and a TON of heavy piano stuff…pretty nerve-wracking! We ran through it once this afternoon, which was barely enough time to figure out the key signatures. I had no choice but to roll with it, though, and playing the show was a ton of fun. It runs about an hour, which seemed never-ending at the soundcheck, but it flew by in performance.

The show covers pretty much everything from Oklahoma to Tommy, The King & I to the Producers, and my personal favorite – an entire ABBA medley. (I think this was the audience’s favorite too). There is also an acrobatic couple on board who perform this amazing act during the show. I’m anxious to play show #2 (in about 30 minutes) and get a better handle on all of the music, but overall it was an awesome show. We’re onstage for the whole show which is a little hard to get used to at first (you’ll know why if you’ve ever seen me play a show) but I’m sure the audience is distracted by the performers...

Before iBroadway, we had a Captain’s Toast (free champagne) for the ship. The band played while each of the senior officers were introduced, and then I ‘noodled’ while the champagne was being passed out. This segment had zero rehearsal….yay, sightreading.

Yay, Broadway! I love my job. Ketchikan in T-12 hours…we’re one hour back tomorrow.

Cruise Life!

It’s been a crazy and hectic first day onboard the Celebrity Infinity. From the hotel in Seattle, about 50 crew members were bused to the cruise terminal. I was one of two girls, and the only American crew member. It took a while to process everyone’s paper work and finally board. We were brought to one of the movie theaters on board where they served us coffee and snacks, and we had our first orientation with the HR team. I then met the bandmaster and got a whirlwind tour of the ship. It was a while before my luggage arrived, and I got settled in my room and met my lovely roommate Zoe (from England)! She is a dancer in the shows – some of which I play with her as part of the orchestra. I also had to attend a safety training session with one of the Officers.
When all the passengers were boarded we set sail at 4pm – not that I could tell because I was in rehearsal! The cruise director is brand new as well, and we all assembled in the theater – his staff, the orchestra, the dancers, and the a cappella group – for a rehearsal/sound check. I am playing a Yamaha grand on stage in a 1,000 seat theater (for most of the shows). There are 6 other band members – bass, drum set, trombone, tenor sax, trumpet, and alto sax (3 of which are female!). The music was waiting on the piano and I jumped right in. Our first set is called the “Infinity Teaser” and it is played to a click track (my first time!). It includes tons of Broadway music, a whole 5 minutes devoted to “Don’t Rain On My Parade,” and a medley called “Boogie Wonderland.” The a cappella group (On Tap from Lehigh University) does a set, and then we play a Jersey Boys medley with them. We end with a set including Circle of Life, Defying Gravity, and Footloose…I love my job. Rehearsal was pretty stressful and I only got to run through everything once so I’m a little apprehensive about tonight’s show. But the rest of the band is really great and supportive so I’m sure it’ll work out.
The ship is HUGE and I’m going to try and figure out the situation. The weather outside is lovely as is the scenery. ..
Tonight we played our first show in the theater, with seatings at 7pm and 9pm. The cruise director is hilarious and lots of fun and the crowds loved the show. It was exhilarating and (mostly) horrifying to be essentially sight-reading in front of hundreds of people but luckily I had headphones on and couldn’t hear if I was making a mistake  Playing to a click track is a lot harder than it looks and will take a lot more getting used to. It was a very fun night of performing, and all the other band members have been incredibly supportive and helpful. After the second set some of us went to one of the lounges to listen to a FABULOUS Argentinian jazz quartet with an ah-mazing singer.

The ship is moving along at quite a clip to get to Ketchikan (500 miles north of Seattle) by 7am tomorrow! I’m explored the gym and some of the other areas on the ship; it is a gorgeous boat and the trip so far has been beautiful (though very cold and windy!).

I Left My Heart in San Francisco

I just got back to Seattle after a lovely 4-day visit to San Francisco! SF is almost 50(!) square miles, but I got to see a lot of it. The flight to and from Seattle/San Francisco is gorgeous over the mountains - and I got to see these cool salt ponds! (See picture). The colors come from a high concentration of algae, which forms in these highly salinated artificial ponds. How cool?!

I stayed in the Castro for a few days, and enjoyed the lively, hip, up-beat environment. It's easy (and familiar) to walk everywhere, and we had delicious coffee, pizza, and dinner. The Castro Theater is a great, old movie theater - like old, European theaters. The weather was foggy and chilly - as Mark Twain once famously remarked, "The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco." The sun did come out later in the week, though. We shopped in downtown SF and visited Union Square. Day 2 we visited the city hall, San Francisco Opera, and San Francisco Symphony Hall (Davies Hall). It's my goal to see the country by all of its major symphony halls. Michael Tilson Thomas is at Tanglewood this summer, so there weren't any concerts to speak of while I was there. We had lunch at Fisherman's wharf and visited the lovely Ghirardelli square. We then took a boat ride to Alcatraz and toured around there for about an hour -a wonderfully kept historic landmark! We drove crooked street, visited the "Full House" home, toured Haight-Ashbury, saw the Golden Gate bridge, and shopped on Union Street.

I found San Francisco a lot different than Seattle, and also a lot different from the other Californian cities I've visited. A most unique city, for sure. Thanks to my tour guides for a great week!

I'm back in Seattle and will be boarding the Celebrity Infinity early tomorrow morning. See you in Alaska!

San Francisco: The City of Fog

As I am finding out, San Francisco is known for its chilly summer fog...which is why I'm currently stranded in the Sea-Tac airport. Soon, though, I will be in California's 4th most populous city! San Francisco is named for Saint Francis of Assisi, and has become a center of American liberal activism. It is my first time in the bay area & I'm excited to explore the famous hills, bridges, and shores of San Francisco. Flight is boarding now...more info to come!

Cruise: T-5 days

One Short Day in the Emerald City

Yesterday we spent a beautiful day exploring Seattle. We started at the picturesque University of Washington and made our way to the Seattle Center. We saw the Space Needle, International Fountain Seattle Opera, and Experimental Music Project. We made our way up to the 5th Ave theater where the marquis for the touring production of IN THE HEIGHTS is already up! We then walked down to the Farmer's Market where there are endless stalls of fresh food, flowers, and goods (lots of shopping happened here). I got to go in the first Starbucks - my dream come true. The market was lots of fun - so many people milling about, lots of fresh produce and specialized goods, and a fun and friendly atmosphere. Everyone we interacted with was so friendly - a noticeable difference from New York. Lots of bike riders and green initiatives around. We saw the Gum Wall, Seattle Aquarium, and we visited the cruise terminal where a Norwegian Cruise boat was docked. I'll be there in 5 days! The views from and around the water were stunning - mountains, trees, and water are everywhere.

We walked (a long way) up to Capitol Hill - a fun neighborhood with lots of shops and restaurants. Seattle is so much more spread out than most cities I'm familiar with (Boston, New York) - it's not as walkable, and seems a lot bigger. It's also situated on hills, and feels a little like San Francisco in that way. Michael took me to the beautiful (and huge) St. Mark's Episcopal Church where they have a 4,000 pipe organ and beautiful views. We took the bus back to Seattle Center for dinner by the International Fountain before a performance of RUINED at The Intiman Theater.

RUINED was a truly stunning production. I highly recommend learning more about it here:

http://www.intiman.org/2010Season/ruined/default.aspx

The Pulitzer Prize winning play is about the civil war in the Congo and the femicide that occured as a result of it. It was a lovely production in a beautiful theater, and a really important piece of art for 2010. The production is travelling to South Africa later in the year to share it with the large population of Congolese ex-pats in Johannesburg.

A wonderful day in the emerald city! I fell in love with Seattle and its fresh, young, do-it-yourself spirit. It has a very at-home atmosphere (so different from New York) and the views and the city itself are beautiful. Off to San Francisco in the morning!!

Mount Rainier and Vashon Island

Yesterday we visited Mount Rainier on a perfect day (see picture). It took about an hour an half to get to the mountain, and we took the scenic route up. It is the tallest mountain in the contiguous United States (Mount McKinley here I come...) and is, to my surprise, an active volcano. It is very heavily concentrated with glaciers. Some days it can be seen from as far away as Portland, Oregon! The mountain is covered with Evergreens, snow, and glaciers, and we found lots of beautiful waterfalls. It was pretty crazy to be playing in the snow in 85 degree heat. The scenery is breathtaking and the weather was just perfect. I can't believe I feel this way about a MOUNTAIN...the scenery is getting to me.

Last night we went to a friend's house on Vashon Island (see other picture), a short ferry ride away from Tacoma. The island is quite big, with its own high school (though no traffic lights). The house was right on the water and reminded me so much of New England living. I'm so happy to be around so much saltwater here!

Today I was the "guest artist" at Michael's summer camp at Tacoma Little Theater. He acted as the moderator and I answered some of the high schooler's questions about Life On Broadway...it doesn't get any better than this, my friends...

The Emerald City

I have arrived! I landed at Seattle/Tacoma ["Sea/Tac"] airport on Thursday afternoon and I've been in love with the Pacific Northwest ever since. Flying into Seattle we saw the Pudget Sound to the left (and the "floating bridge") and Lake Washington and Downtown Seattle to the right. Mount Rainier was not visible (I've yet to see it in all of its glory) but I'm sure it will emerge out of the skyline one of these days. The bird's-eye view was just as I imagined it - lots of green, trees and water everywhere (and thus began the differences between the Northwest and the Northeast).

Seattle is named after Chief Seattle, and the Native American influences are prominent. It is a city of c. 600,000 people. It's nickname - The Emerald City - refers to the many evergreen forests in the area (Washington is The Evergreen State). Seattle is known for its heavy coffee consumption, which is (let's face it) why I'm here. I'll write more about Seattle when I visit on Saturday!

I've spent most of my time since in Tacoma, staying with the best friend. Tacoma is c. 30 miles South of Seattle, and is another large metropolitan area in Western Washington (population c. 200K). Tacoma gets its name from the original name of Mount Rainier: Mount Tahoma (more Native American influence). The area is so lovely - both similar and vastly different from New England. The area is SO green, with lakes everywhere - people are very nature-friendly here, and I would be too in this environment; lots of walking paths along waterfronts and huge, beautiful parks. The air is so fresh and crisp here - and it always smells like Christmas! I am surprised to find myself not missing NYC. It's much chillier than I'm used to here, but I do NOT miss the high humidity and stickiness of a New York City summer. I've loved being outside and exploring the PNW. It's much more similar to New England than New York City, of course, and I'm happy to be back near the ocean and the beach. Washington is much bigger than most of New England, and it feels more vast and spread out.

Michael & I have been exploring maps to figure out my route to Alaska. There is quite aways North to travel in the Pacific Ocean before I even reach the Southernmost tip of Alaska (it takes about a day and a half at sea to get to Juneau on the cruise ship). We first have to sail out of the Pudget Sound and get into the Pacific Ocean proper. Lots of people here have been to Alaska (either flown or cruised) and I've enjoyed talking to them about their travels. Clearly, I was expecting MUCH different weather and packed ONE pair of pants. This might be a problem...

I love the Pacific Northwest! I'm very much looking forward to exploring Seattle this weekend (another big city to cross of my list) and to head to San Francisco on Monday. I've spent SO much time on the East Coast and so little time on the West Coast, so I'm very grateful for the opportunity to explore this part of the country. And again, I now know more about Western U.S. geography than I do about my own coast! Good thing geography isn't on the GREs...