Weekend update, July 21, 2013

Life is a journey,

not a destination.

Emerson

Ralph Waldo Emerson was a very smart man. Much smarter than I am (and judging from his pictures, nicer than I am too). So it's no surprise to me that this quote of his, which has been printed in inspiring fonts and stuck on everything from car bumpers to dorm walls, leaves me with a familiar, bewildered feeling, as I ask myself  "What's that supposed to mean, anyway?" about a thing that everyone else seems to understand. 

I mean, does one really ever want to pack one's bags, clear airport security and board a plane only to hear this?

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking.
We've got no particular destination in mind today,
so sit back and enjoy the journey."

Perhaps it makes a difference that Emerson lived his life before the advent of travel by air and automobile. Had he ever been on board a tarmac-tethered plane, he'd have known: air travel is only fun when one is in the air, and traveling. Toward a destination.
There are times when, pleasant as the journey may be, one wants to just get there, and start exploring a new there.
Had Emerson's travels ever included Seattle, I'll bet he'd have said something wonderfully quotable about it being a city full of journeys, and full of destinations.
My daughter Liz and I spent the last week in that fair city, having an excellent explore whose discoveries will inform several blogposts to come. Here's what matters tonight:
First, Seattle is one of those spectacular cities that makes one wish that one were something other than human. For instance, if  I were a little less human, and a little more bovine, I'd have four stomachs to give to Seattle. Seattle deserves at least four stomachs.
I think I'd assign them this way:

At least, that would be a good start.

Second, the geniuses who planned this city fortunately foresaw the wealth of produce and chocolate and pastry and seafood and coffee that would one day flow through its streets, and accordingly built their city so that everything is uphill. 

They did this so that people would stay fed, and people could stay fit. 

No really, I am not making this up. At sea level, there is a mind-boggling 9 acre buffet of delicious things to eat and drink, and all other attractions are a 1500 calorie walk uphill. 

Sort of like this:

We came, we ate, we conquered.
It was an uphill battle, but since there was usually coffee
waiting at the top of the hill.....

Each day in Seattle was a journey of a hundred tiny destinations: waterfront fish and chips, a new coffee place, a famous bakery, a street fair, a famous view, a craft expo, a famous coffee place, a museum, a library, a park, a pastry, a tour, a dinner, a bed. 

For the next week or so, I'll be unpacking a virtual suitcase full of  flavory inspirations that were collected like souvenirs from food stalls and restaurants all over Seattle. First up, my daughter and traveling companion Liz has agreed to co-post with me on Tuesday, and if you take a peek at her facebook page, you'll understand why this makes me very excited.

A week of exploring helped me (I think) understand a little bit more about Emerson-

 how he metaphored achievement into a point on a map,and called it destination.

And reminded us to enjoy the ride.

This week, in all your journeys to and through all your daily destinations,

I hope you catch a clear view of where you want to end up,

and how you want to get there,

and what you wish to explore before the you reach each road's end.

And I hope that when you get there-

wherever there is, 

you can take a deep breath of free air and know

that your choosen destination

was totally worth the trip.