The Pacific Northwest and my Jordan Year

This post is supposed to be somewhat of an overview of the trip because I wanted to blog about some of the specific places I visited in detail in their own posts. My friends and I made the expensive leap from birthday dinners to birthday trips this year and for my birthday a few of my closest friends traveled with me to Seattle and Portland for a week. I originally thought it was just going to be a group of five but when my three friends Jessica, Ronald and Guillermo picked Osman and I up from the airport I was pleasantly surprised to see my friend Tony there as well!
We spent 3 days in Seattle exploring the market, the art museum, Space Needle, Chihuly Glass Garden and hiking Mt. Rainier before making the short(ish) drive to Portland. Unfortunately our time in Portland was not as fun as expected because we learned that there was a huge protest happening downtown the day we arrived and were advised by multiple people to avoid the area. I believe the protests carried on until Sunday so we didn't have much of a chance to explore the city until Monday when we had to head back to Seattle within the same day. We spent the last day and a half of our trip in Seattle by spending more time at the public market and getting drunk at the Airbnb before heading back early Wednesday morning. Some of my favorite memories from the trip include the amazing Airbnb we stayed at in Gig Harbor for the first half of our trip, cooking dinner together at the house instead of going out to eat, getting drunk with my friends (I hardly ever drink), laughing with my friends and of course spending an entire week with my bb. I really fell in love with Seattle and everything it had to offer.

Myself, Tony, Jessica, Guillermo and Ronald

Guillermo, Myself, Osman, Tony, Ronald and Jessica

Since turning 23, I feel like I've been rocket launched into adulthood because I've been dealing with some serious and very personal stuff ever since I got home from my trip. I might blog about that someday- maybe if I ever feel brave enough to speak about such personal stuff on the internet, but who knows. I'm excited to be 23 and I really feel like I've matured so much from who I was just a year or two ago. Growth is really important to me and I want to constantly work towards moving forward in a positive direction. I feel so happy and loved and supported by those around me and could not ask for more. Looking forward to what this next year holds for me is a bit nerve-racking. I'm getting closer and closer to my graduation and I have some big decisions to make. I feel as though I can do anything I put my mind to, BUT I have the hardest time making up my mind! It's the absolute worst. Regardless of my anxiety and fear of the unknown, I'm really looking forward to welcoming what life has in store for me, no matter what direction I'm headed.

In conclusion, I'm extremely thankful to have a group of friends that I consider my family who not only are down to travel with me in just a few weeks notice, but fully love and support me as well. Thanks for making my 23rd birthday so memorable and thanks for being a part of my life. I can't wait to see where my friends and I travel to next whether it's for someone's birthday or if it's just for fun. Thanks for reading, Quynhthy.