Magical things happen when you disconnect
I accidentally bricked myself today
After a few weeks of depressive episodes doomscrolling on my phone, I finally acknowledged that I need to deal with my phone addiction problem. Through some friend’s recommendation, I purchased a Brick — a device designed to lock myself out of certain apps and websites on my phone. It’s only been a week since I started deploying Brick to keep myself from scrolling during the work hours. However, the most effective timing that the Brick does for me was my “before-bed routine” and my “morning-scroll” bad habit. It managed to help me get out of bed and start the day without any dilly-dallying.
Well, on this fine Saturday morning, I forgot to “unbrick” my phone when I got up from bed. I made plans to meet a friend to hand off her Kodak Charmera from our group-buy efforts. I deliberately planned my route so that I can enjoy a leisurely 10-minute walk from the parking lot to the newly opened Aroom cafe on the waterfront. Perhaps I’ll also hop on the ferry by foot and take a slow ride to Bainbridge island with a book.
After locking up my car from the parking lot, I realized that I forgot to “Unbrick”, and I still don’t have access to my social media apps (Instagram, Substack, Reddit). The device to unlock my access is at home, and I’m stuck staying disconnected for the rest of the morning. I’ve been a chronic phone user and has been conditioned to pick up my phone and scroll whenever there are any idle time. I was initially nervous about how I’m going to get through the day, but decided to embrace the spontaneity of my self-imposed “disconnect”.
While my phone is off limits, I’m also determined to experience today through perspectives that I don’t usually look at. Let’s turn today’s morning chore into an adventure.
An orca on the wall
It was a foggy and slightly drizzly morning on the Seattle waterfront. Instead of the scenic route, I chose to walk on the back alley parallel to the waterfront path. It’s been a while since I explore Seattle downtown by foot, and I was pleased to discover a cool mural of a magnificent orca leaping out of the water, painted on the side of the CenTrio building (a district heating public facility). The mural honors “Merlin”, one of the Southern Resident orcas in Puget Sound last spotted in May 1995 (they eat fish exclusively). A huge plaque describes the meaning of the mural, as well as the story of the artists James and Nick Crespinel who formed a bond with this particular killer whale.
As a Taiwanese girl who grew up in the middle of a city living in condos, it was unimaginable that I could live so close to the ocean and be able to see nature up close. The newly renovated waterfront park boasts a beautiful aquarium that showcases the ecosystem of the Puget Sound waters and my membership gave me access whenever I want, just 10 minutes drive away from my home.
I kept walking through the downtown streets, the historic facade of the city more prominently featured in this neighborhood than the futuristic skyscrapers by the Amazon hub. Aroom waterfront is located conveniently right across from the Ferry Terminal to Bainbridge and Bremerton. I settled in to wait for my friend with a Pandan Latte and a book. I’m re-reading Peter Mayle’s A Year in Provence; I’ve read the Chinese-translated edition when I was in high school, and I felt like revisiting the stories of Provençal leisure and his generous descriptions of food in France. I’ve always wanted to write like Peter Mayle (my other inspiration is Bill Bryson’s “Neither Here nor There: Travels in Europe.”)
Going to an island on a whim
I wanted to catch the 10:40 Ferry ride from Seattle to Bainbridge Island. Although the cafe was only across the street from the terminal, I cut it close to the departure time and had to make a mad dash up the stairs through the ticket gates. I was huffing and puffing by the time I stepped over the threshold onto the ferry.
Bainbridge is actually a city in Kitsap country, with a population of 24,000+ living on the island with its own vibrant downtown area. On the weekends, Seattlelites hop on the ferry to Bainbridge for a leisure getaway, and vice versa. Bainbridge Island was one of my first impressions of Seattle; when I visited this town for the first time in 2016, my friend Phyllis took me on a ride on this ferry and we enjoyed a fun day exploring the nooks and cranny of Bainbridge Island’s main street.
Since then, I’ve always enjoyed the novel feeling of riding on Washington’s iconic pine-green accented state ferries. These large water transportation method boasts a spacious passenger cabin with additional capacity for vehicles. I’ve utilized the ferries myself several times by car to get around the peninsula and island features in Kitsap County. However, it was only until recently that I started appreciating the leisure of walk-on rides again. It’s just like taking a bus, except it crosses water. I like the feeling of embarking on a sea-bound voyage, the destination hidden among the terrains rising from the watery horizon.
I figured I’d take the ferry to Bainbridge island, stroll over to the iconic bookstore on the Main Street, and finally take the ferry back to Seattle again. After several weeks of feeling so much anxiety and tension staying inside the house, I think I really needed this refreshing outing.
The round trip fare costs me only $11 and the ride will last approximately 35 minutes. The interior of the passenger cabin is a mix of nostalgic buttercream color, accented by navy or maroon cushioned booth seats. The nostalgic decor made you think that you were stuck in time, or perhaps time passes more slowly on marine hours.
I picked out a seat with tables so I can slowly sip on my pandan latte from breakfast. The galley and cabin soon filled with other passengers who had disembarked from their parked cars or bikes. Most groups were walking around enjoying the various amenities and admiring the view from the upstairs deck area. The best thing about doing a solo trip as a local is that there are no obligations to take in the view or savor the rare experience of riding a ferry. Instead, I kicked up my feet and dove into my book, an act that I haven’t treated myself to for a long time.
As the ferry slows towards the dock at Bainbridge Island, I walked up to the open-air deck to enjoy the mist cloaked across the water. The silhouette of Pacific Northwest’s landscape is always spiky and sharp because of its pine trees. The cloudy sky looked like a heavy blanket that’s about to drape over the islands. Only a small segment of horizon is yellowing, indicating that the sun will come out later when the clouds break.
After disembarking, I followed the crowd towards the main street. I have a full hour until the next ferry is ready to leave Bainbridge Island to return to Seattle. The main street is only a 10 minute walk away from the terminal and I took my time enjoying the refreshing petrichor scent the entire island was emitting after a rainy night.
Seahawks gear and a paper cut
As I walked down the streets of Bainbridge, I felt sheepish because it’s been years since I’ve visited. I can’t help but think about how we as people generally take things for granted, and I’ve missed how fun exploring these little towns just a little ways outside of the city.
The main street is dotted with charming stores, eateries, and vintage knick knack goods. However, my favorite place to visit in small towns are their bookstores. My destination is Eagle Harbor Book Co, an independent bookstore with over 50 years of history. I wrote about it on one of my previous Independent Bookstore tour adventure in 2024.
The red brick exterior boasts a treasure trove of books inside. It was encouraging to see a sign on the front door that says: “Immigrants are welcome here, ICE, not so much.” Just yesterday, the bookstore also participated in the general strike by donating 10% of its proceed to Kitsap Immigration Assistance Center. I appreciate that even remote places like this one is still part of the bigger movement going on in the entire country.
I’m impressed by the collection, especially the entire series of Heated Rivalry all fully stocked (unlike its depleted status in Portland just a few weeks ago). I poked around the store, feeling panicked as I realized more time has passed than I thought and I might have to prepare to return to the ferry terminal. I was feeling anxious about finding a book to take home. In my panic, I accidentally gave myself a paper cut handling one of the thicker volumes. I guess it’s not meant to be today, and left the store without purchasing anything.
I stopped by another shop on my mind: B.I. Barkery, a pet boutique that sells specialty dog toys and treats. I wanted to support an independent pet store and also hunt down some Seahawks gear for Cookie. Unfortunately, the number 12 jersey was sold out for Cookie’s size. However, I was able to find an adorable all-seasons bandana. We’re now ready for the Super Bowl.
Bainbridge island also has its fair share of sad history. The Japanese American residents here were one of the first groups to be sent to the internment camps during WWII. Going further back, it also used to belong to the Suquamish tribe in the region until they ceded the territory to the US for fishing rights in the Puget Sound. Ironically, today the island has become home to the more affluent communities, with a conservative leaning population, according to one of the protestors I strike up a conversation with on the side of the road. I was originally planning to make it back to Seattle in time for my weekly protest in the Ballard neighborhood, but I know I’m probably going to be late. Instead, I stood next to the four lone protestors for 10 minutes at the busy intersection and helped them wave to cars and passerbys. It felt nice to find a moment of solidarity even during this spontaneous trip.
Due to this detour on my brief hour on the island, I had to make a mad dash, AGAIN, to run back to the terminal before the ferry departs. I was again, huffing and puffing as I made it on the ferry. This time, I climbed straight up to the top level deck to cool down and catch my breath. The day is getting brighter now that it’s noon. I was graced with a spectacular view of Mount Rainier, glowing regally with the sun’s ray.
Magical moments
One of my favorite things when riding the Washington State Ferries is to stare out at the rippling water, far out into the horizon, hoping for a glimpse of the regions famous marine mammal - orcas. I always imagine myself catching a glimpse of their dark silhouette breaching the surface. In fact, it is quite comment to see them around this region, so much that there is a dedicated facebook group for people to report sightings throughout the year. However, I’ve only seen orcas in Seattle once, six years ago, off the coast of Vashon island. Other times, I typically have to take the whale-watching tours up in Anacortes, and even that was around seven years ago.
I walked along the deck enjoying the wind in my hair, and finally settled on the starboard side facing the glorious Mount Rainier as we glide towards the Seattle skyline. There were fewer than usual passengers on the deck, probably because of the chilly temperature and the strong wind. As I am still locked out of my phone’s apps, I was content to stare out at the water just enjoying this moment in nature.
That’s when I saw it, an agitated ripple on the water surface, right at the foot of Mt Rainier in the horizon.
I looked around me to see if anyone else had seen it, and a single lady holding up a binocular intently confirmed my suspicion. I tracked the ripple on the water hopefully, and there it was, a pod of orcas swimming and breaching occasionally with its back fin. Ahhh!! I clapped my hands in glee and squealed like a child. I finally saw orcas from the ferry!
I watch them swim further and further away from the ferry’s course. The pod of five, six? killer whales continue to reward me with consistent movements above water. Regretfully, my phone camera was too inferior to capture the scene well, you’ll just have to take my naked eye’s word for it. Wow, after years of manifesting that I’ll see orcas in person from the Washington State Ferry, it finally happened, and so close to the shores of Seattle downtown! Thinking back, the mural I observed this morning was almost a premonition!
After confirming their departure, I walked over to the lady with the binoculars and asked if she had seen the same thing I saw. Turns out, she’s an enthusiast and always carry a pair of binoculars just in case. She had gotten the alert from the Facebook group, and was enjoying the pod’s track while she was on a trip to Seattle. We traded photos and videos, and I asked her if she can share the clip with me via airdrop. When my name pop up on her screen, we both laughed: “Oh my god, is your name April too?” What a serendipitous moment.
We said our goodbyes and disembarked from the ferry. Although it was still mostly overcast, Seattle’s skyline was more bustling these days since the demolishment of the viaduct and the waterfront landscape was established. I made my way towards the parking lot located at the north end of Pike Place Market. On the way there, I dipped into the new pavilion of the Seattle Aquarium to admire the diver do some brushing maintenance in the giant tank. What a day.
Before going to my parked car, I decided to pick up a cheese and beef bun from Pirosky Pirosky and get a cup of delicious hot apple cider from Tiny’s Organic Farm. Of course, my luck of the day ran out and I spilled scorching hot apple cider down my entire right arm when the cap dislodged itself. It’s time to go home.
For this morning’s outing, I actually also brought my Canon digital point and shoot camera, but it ran out of battery within the first ten minutes of my trip. Today’s adventure was mostly captured via my iPhone and my trusty Kodak Charmera. I hope you enjoy the analog and grainy vibes from my trip. At the completion of this post, I’m at 18 hours of “bricked” state on my phone. It’s nice to disconnect for a while.
Delightful description of a classic Seattle trip.
A visit to the Japanese American Exclusion Memorial is well worth taking a car over to the island. I found it very powerful in Sept 2024: https://redharparts.wordpress.com/2024/09/12/let-it-not-happen-again/
What an amazing day!! I need a brick for my phone!