We Parked, We Flew, We Ate: A Highly Unstable Itinerary

 

Chapter 138: The Waiting Game (and the Cooler That Time Forgot)

The days before Seattle felt like being stuck in airport mode… without actually being at the airport yet. Not quite living, not quite leaving... just hovering.

The big event? The legendary Truma cooler finally showed up. Nine months late. A whole pregnancy later. At this point, I felt like I should name it.

This thing had been “shipped” last June, disappeared into the void, and somehow aged out of the UPS tracking system. I had fully accepted that Winnebago just ghosted me, but after some detective work involving maternity leave, email ping-pong, and a guy named Robert playing FBI, it reappeared. Miraculously.

Of course, it arrived in winter. A cooler. In winter. Perfect timing.

Then came the iPostal1 drama... threatening emails, confusing deadlines, and a surprise $137 charge that felt like a mugging in broad daylight. Thankfully Ted from Bella Vista Pack Ship stepped in like a customer service warrior and got it reversed.  Loading the cooler into the van was a full-body workout disguised as logistics. Lots of twisting, shoving, and “this will definitely fit if I believe hard enough.” It did fit. Barely. The van is now one item away from filing a complaint.

Meanwhile, we were back to stealth camping and playing fridge Tetris. After New York, the fridge was empty and full of potential, but we couldn’t actually fill it because… we were leaving again. So every grocery decision became philosophical:  “Will I eat this in 3 days or will it die in here?”

Exploration Tuesday took me to downtown Rogers, which I had unfairly written off as “future ghost town.” Turns out: kind of cute. A little weird, a little sleepy, but trying its best.  I checked out the original Onyx Coffee Lab, aka “World’s Best Coffee Shop”. I went in skeptical and came out impressed. High ceilings, clean design, lots of light, it had that effortless cool that usually takes a lot of effort.  Then came a gift shop full of beautiful handmade cards that made me question my entire reliance on texting “happy birthday!!” like a lazy person. I bought a tea towel instead. Practical growth.

Midweek, I visited our land and saw actual progress, stakes (again), strings, spray paint… the full construction starter pack. For the first time, I could sort of see where things would go. I even acted it out: drove into the imaginary carport, walked through the invisible house, stood in a non-existent bathroom contemplating life. Totally normal behavior.

Towards end of the week, we tested a “flatter”  tent campsite at Bella Vista. It was, in fact, flatter. Huge win. I cooked steak outside like a real camper, we chatted with neighbors, and I warned them we’d be leaving at 4am like suspicious people. Nelson recorded his ukulele thing inside the van like a man with priorities.

And just like that, the calm before the chaos was over.

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Chapter 139: Flying East to Go West (Make It Make Sense)

There is something deeply wrong about waking up at 3:30am to catch a flight that first goes in the opposite direction of where you actually want to go.

Seattle = west.
Our flight = east, to Atlanta.
Logic = none.

But this is what happens when you live in Northwest Arkansas and also don’t trust airlines to get you where you need to go without emotional damage.

Our original 7am flight got delayed by two hours, which would have destroyed our connection, so we panic-rebooked ourselves onto the 6am. Because nothing says “good decision-making” like solving problems half-asleep.

I dumped the cassette toilet in the dark, praying for accuracy. A true test of character.

By 4am, we were at the airport, functioning purely on muscle memory from our last trip. Park. Walk. Check in. Lounge. Exist.

Because this was a work trip, Nelson and I booked separately and didn’t even sit together. Romantic. Didn’t matter... I passed out before takeoff and basically time-traveled.

Atlanta felt weirdly comforting, like a chaotic friend you’ve seen too many times. We took the train, found a lounge, and I fought the overwhelming urge to fall asleep and miss the next flight like an idiot.

On the Seattle flight, I woke up mid-air, checked the map… and we were over Northwest Arkansas.

Again.

After hours of flying and sitting, we had successfully gone in a giant loop. I just stared at the screen like, “are we being pranked?”

Eventually... finally, we made it to Seattle. The trees were tall, the air looked expensive, and everything screamed Pacific Northwest. Even the light felt different.

We got to Bellevue, dropped our stuff, and immediately went to H Mart (this girl did her homework!). After a 3am wake-up and a full day of travel, we were not interested in menus, small talk, or human interaction.  We bought everything: rice bowls, sushi, random cold dishes, and demolished it like we hadn’t eaten in weeks.

Then came the hotel.

It’s been almost a year since we stayed in one, and honestly… it felt weird. Too much space. Too many surfaces. Nelson kept losing things within a 10-foot radius. The bathroom alone could host a small event.

Meanwhile, I was thriving. Towels everywhere. Stuff everywhere. Absolute chaos. Luxury.

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Chapter 140: Seattle Said “Fine, I’ll Be Nice”

Seattle decided to show off.

Blue sky. No clouds. Not a single drop of rain. Honestly suspicious.

We headed straight to Pike Place Market, where the energy hit immediately. Crowds, noise, food, people living their best lives... it felt like stepping into a different gear compared to Northwest Arkansas.

We watched the fish-throwing at Pike Place Fish Market, which is fun but also raises questions. No one seemed concerned. Everyone was cheering. I accepted it.  Surrounded by amazing seafood, Nelson decided he needed… a BBQ pork bun. $6.50. Of course.  

We wandered toward Seattle Center, taking in the city, then moved on to level things up with an “Escape the City” game: basically Amazing Race but self-inflicted.

First stop: bubble tea shop. We spent 20 minutes trying to solve the first puzzle while pretending we were smart. Rewarded ourselves with drinks.  Then we noticed another group doing the same game. Instant rivalry. No words exchanged, but it was understood: we need to win.

The game took us all over: art installations, hidden clues, counting random things, decoding patterns. Nelson handled logic, I handled vibes. Together, we barely managed padlocks.

We ended up near the Space Needle area, running around solving clues like overexcited children. It was cold, but we didn’t care...we were too busy feeling clever.  So much fun!!!  After finishing, we rewarded ourselves at Taylor Shellfish Farms with geoduck. A giant clam that… looks too phallic for me not to giggle like a 10 year old.  We tried it anyway. Two textures: crunchy siphon, firm meat. Very ocean. Extremely ocean. Needed help from seasoning.

We walked it off around the Seattle Center, admired the Space Needle from every angle like tourists who paid for the full experience, and stumbled into live music at the Armory, which ended up staying way longer than planned because it was actually great.

Quick stop by the Museum of Pop Culture, then Uber back.

By the time we got to the hotel, we were done in the best way. Nelson switched into work mode. I switched into “what solo adventures can I get into next” mode.

Seattle Day 1: unexpectedly perfect.