Travel is an exploration, not just of geography, but of soul and body. I tend to explore through the filter of food and other things that make me feel balanced and alive. Often, the things I find have nothing to do with the city I’m in – my eyes are just open wider to new things when I travel. Here are some of the soul-soothers I found in Seattle:
Food
- earnest eats Food Bars – While these little snack bars do have added sugar – in the form of brown rice syrup and “natural cane syrup” (can we please just call it what it is…sugar?!) – they’re not off-the-charts sweet and have other good, energy-boosting ingredients like oats and almond butter. I tried Cran Lemon and Apple Ginger flavors, both of which were quite tasty and satisfying.
- Bear Naked Pecan Apple Flax Trail Mix – I hadn’t seen this Bear Naked product before, so I gave it a try. Loved the pecans, a nut you don’t often see in trail mix and one that adds a rich, buttery flavor.
- DRY Lavender Soda – I’m not a big soda drinker, but I had to try this one. (I love anything with lavender.) Other flavors include Rhubarb, Juniper Berry, and Blood Orange.
- Fresh Blackberries on Bainbridge Island – We picked these in my friend’s parents’ back yard. I have nothing to say but “mmmmmm.”
- Restaurants – Joule, in the Wallingford neighborhood of Seattle, served one of the best meals I’ve ever had. You MUST go. Inventive small plates with a $35 “family style” dinner if you just can’t make up your mind. I immediately ordered the cornbread, served in a small baking dish with gouda cheese melted right in. Dessert was this blueberry foccacia with Korean caramel chile sauce. Unreal. Other favorite restaurant finds: Purple Café & Wine Bar, Cherry Street Coffee House, Coastal Kitchen (one of my enduring favorites from when I lived in Seattle…best for brunch).
Fire
In the Madrona neighborhood of Seattle, tucked away among lovely parks and homes (including the one in which I stayed), are these uniquely soul-soothing glass candle holders. I wandered into the glassybaby factory one day to see why my friend Lynn is so obsessed with them (she must have at least 10 of them at this point…you’ll understand why when you visit glassybaby in either Seattle or at their newest store in New York City).
glassybaby’s story began when founder Lee Rhodes was fighting her third battle with cancer. She put a tea light into a colorful glass cup and found a sense of peace and calm that she wanted to share with others. glassybaby was born. I was so taken with the mesmerizing flickers of light in these truly one-of-a-kind glasses – each one is handblown right there in Seattle – that I “adopted” two of my own glassybabies.
glassybaby gives a portion of sales – more than $600,000 to date – to charity partners such as Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, Memorial Sloan-Kettering, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, and Gilda’s Club.
Friends
Is there anything more soul-soothing than time spent with friends? How about time spent with old friends, so close to family that sharing a living space with them is more natural and comfortable than being in your own home? Reconnect with an old friend today. You might be surprised what you discover about them…and about you.
