There's no place like home.

Transformation completed.

In one month I have gone from a predictable (and by default boring) existence to World Traveler Extroadinare. How fabulous! Not the most painless process, but definitely worth the effort... Highly recommended folks.

I have made the next big step and flown from the arms of me darlin cousin Jana and her hubby Patrick in NY, to the fabulous new frontier of the West Coast. I love it already. I got off the plane and thought: "Hell yes! I could live here." And by "here" I mean Seattle.

Also called the Emerald City (there's no place like home) and famous for grunge and Nirvana, it's a haven for alternative thinkers and the severely laid back. Seattle is known as one of the most forward-thinking and sustainable cities in the world, and it's easy to see why. It's the first American city I've encountered where there are ample cyclists and walkers, and there are little shops toting their local goods on every second corner.

Most notable is the amount of tattoos in this town... I mean EVERYONE here is tattooed! Even the old ladies sport them proudly. Men have beards, weird sunglasses are very in. There are alot of second hand shops selling the really authentic 70's gear. The grunge is definitely still alive and kicking in this town.

I'm staying in a great little hostel in Ballard Locks with a view of the water and some fabulous other World Travelers. The shower smells a bit funny but that's forgivable. And the teenage boys in my dorm say dispicable and nasty things about their girlfriends, but that's ok: they're from Jersey. Made a good friend in Matt: an undercover Southerner. He hails from Birmingham, Alabama, and taught himself to speak proper "American" before he started out so as to avoid being put in a box. Damn! I love that accent. Last night we went for some pints at Kiss Cafe and after a couple of tokes the accent slowly slid into the room wearing it's favorite pair of cowboy boots. I laughed.

Seattle is comfortable, like an old friend I haven't seen in awhile. Step out of the city and nature envelopes you immediately. She's like a big overweight mermaid lazing about the coast, a giggle in her hair. I am planning on sticking around here for a couple more days and then heading down to Portland. Planning on attending a 3 day festival organised by the people at the Blue Deer Centre, and hope to meet many more folk from their tradition and to figure out what they are all about. I just finished "Plant Spirit Medicine" by Eliot Cowan who is their Head Honcho, and thought it was beautiful and inspirational. I will go and find the shamans on the coast the last weekend of July, and after that head down to Sacramento I think.

Who knows.

I sure as hell don't. And I love it.