Journey to Seattle

The Board Game Capital

Such Great Heights

With my newly improved prototypes packed and ready (or at least printed), I woke up early in the morning on August 29th to meet up with another friend Andrew (and later Patrick). The flight I was scheduled to be on was one one of those flights that look good on paper but, in the end, is way too early for most human beings. Surprisingly, I woke up quite easily as my body surged with excitement about what I would experience. Just as easily, I got ready and headed to the airport.

As I got closer to LAX from the freeway, I’m pretty sure I saw Andrew’s plane fly off. With a mental farewell, I got to the terminal and went through the check-in process.

For many, the process of getting from sidewalk to gate is something to bemoan. For me, with almost a robotic cadence from one step to the next, the process was a breeze.

I’m pretty sure I may have even scared some people with my perkiness along the way.

The wait time wasn’t that long either, or at least it didn’t seem like it. Next thing I know, I’m on my flight off to Seattle, a city perched in my memory as one of rolling hills of green and stormy clouds of gray. During the flight, I pulled out my glue stick and assembled the back of cards with their respective fronts.

Yes, I was Gluing in the Cabin

As the captain announced our approach to The Emerald City, I couldn’t help but notice how truly green the city and surrounding areas were. I found myself mesmerized by the sight; daydreaming, through my small window, about how nice of a city it must be to live in.

When I got out the plane, I set out to find Andrew. Low and behold, he was waiting right there in front of the door where passengers from my plane exited, holding a sign that spelled out my name.

You know you have amazing friends when they take to heart little details like your travel itinerary.

After picking up my luggage, we headed out to the city. In the train, there was a noticeable shift in demographic from the hodgepodge of people in the airport. Clearly, these people were gamers–and so the long weekend began.

After picking up Andrew’s badge from the Washington State Convention Center, we checked into our place of residence and then decided to go grocery shopping. Walking through the neighborhood, nestled just east of the convention center, felt like a dream. Maybe it was all of the greenery around me, maybe it was that I was in a place mostly foreign to me, maybe it was simply that I was hungry. Regardless, we got to the grocery store, picked up a few things, and headed back to rest up and prepare for the evening.

After a quick nap made more exciting by torrential rain, thunder, and lightning; we made our way back to Downtown to meet up with Patrick for dinner. It would be our rare opportunity to have dinner together as Andrew’s schedule was pretty packed. Over an interesting steak prix fixe, we talked about our plans and what we were looking forward to at PAX.

This Dessert had a Pipette in It!

For Patrick and me though, because we didn’t get badges for Friday, we would have to wait a day.

Into the night, I worked more on my prototypes, looking forward to the moment when others would get to play with them.

Part 3 – Coffee, Gum, and Polar Bears: Surprisingly All Related in Seattle

If you would like to skip ahead to PAX Prime, you can do so here.

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