I spent all of last week in the cold, wet, wonderful city of Seattle. I went there to attend my first ever translators’ conference - the annual conference of the American Translators Association, to be exact. The conference was fun, if for no other reason than it was the first time I was ever in the presence of so many other people (1,600!) doing the same thing that I do for a living. It was nice to be able to have a laugh about the blank expressions and funny questions you get when you tell people you’re a translator. And it was really heartening to see what a diverse bunch of people we all are. There were men and women of all ages and colors from all over the world there, and I felt really proud to be part of such a varied group. And while I didn’t "network" as much as I probably should have, I still met some interesting people and attended some enlightening sessions - and got a nifty free tote bag to boot.

The networking fell by the wayside not only because it’s just not in my nature to be a social butterfly, but also because the lure of exploring Seattle and spending time with my brother was simply too great for me to resist. Seattle is one of my favorite cities. It’s a food-lover’s, coffee-lover’s, music-lover’s, book-lover’s dream. Even though it was chilly and damp almost the whole time we were there, Jeremy and I spent days ambling about, going back and forth through Pike Place Market, getting lost in Elliot Bay Book Company (one of my favorite bookstores anywhere) and warming up with coffee and WiFi at any number of cafes dotted throughout the city.

We also made the most of every mealtime. We breakfasted in French cafes (Seattle has a plethora of them), lunched in delis, and supped on everything from burgers in a sports bar, to hearty Northwestern bistro fare, to a wildly extravagant gourmet meal, to a cozy home-cooked feast (prepared expertly by my brother and his girlfriend while Jeremy and I loafed on the giant couch, watching the giant television, eating cheese and crackers and drinking beer - god, I love vacation). And if my jeans are somewhat tighter now than they were before I left - well, that’s what being on holiday is all about!

There are pictures - mostly of food, of course - up on my Flickr page.