1,544 days ago, I set foot in the city of Seattle for the first time. I remember flying into Sea-Tac, my nose pressed to the plane window, and sensing that rather than flying into a city, we were about to land in the middle of a lush forest. We descended into the sea of green, landed, and as I stepped out into the crisp air so characteristic of the Pacific Northwest, I thought, Yes. Perhaps someday I'll live here.
Seattle was a city that made me feel like I could be exactly who I wanted to be. Untethered, creative, passionately alive. I wrote in my journal:
"I have learned more about myself in the last six days than I have in all the months since I've returned from Stanford. Seattle. I am such a mess of imagery right now. My dreams will not be coherent tonight. I have grown and changed. I feel as if I have been reborn into a self sculpted purely of inspiration, creativity and beauty. Life is crazy..."
Tomorrow, I will begin my journey back there. I've visited in times since - but for the first time, I will be a part of the city I've been repping to anyone who'd listen for four years. I'm taking my time getting out there, stopping in places where people need to be visited, mountains need to be hiked...and this will be my chronicle - of my life (briefly) on the road, and onward.
The blog title is derived from the song "Inkwell" by the Seattle-based hip-hop group, The Blue Scholars, whom I was fortunate enough to see perform at my alma mater, Oberlin College.
out of towners don’t be knowin about the best-kepts
ain’t nothing better than the summer in the northwest
microphone check 1-206
let me push my pen to create
beat, seat rhymes and life
each time i write the fire ignites
i light the sky
there’s an infinite inkwell high above the city
dip the pen steadily, sing the melody
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