One Day in California

It's 13th July, I rent a car and leave after I pass the key to the old woman who bought my apartment.

It's 5 A.M. in the morning, the driver parked his car in the parking lot and help me out with the things I was carrying.

The weather is breezing, the night seems longer. I can see pine trees passing through the window. The sky is still dark, the stars are still counted with fingers, the moon is half seen. The trip is very quiet. I can only listen to an old Chinese songs from the radio with the smell of orange pulp fragrance inside the car.

It takes an hour to the airport. When we arrived, I hang my backpack to my back, grab my luggage before the other car would probably hit me at the drop off. The airport is quiet, maybe because it's too early. I walk to the check in, scrolling my phone  looking for the flight ticket I bought online.

"Thankyou !" the woman smiles at me, returning back my phone after she scan the barcode in my phone.

I can feel the call from my tummy, a weird sensation in the stomach followed by burning sensation. Drinking water right now would be catastrophic. I haven't eat anything since I woke up, so I decided to find something to eat here. I stop by a small minimalist café to order some chicken wings, a burger and a cup of hot tea.

The airport starts busy, the crowd is a river of people, everyone moving in different directions, some with joyful faces, sick faces, and some kids holding their mom. There's a couple of old woman and man sitting down on the wooden bench, laughing together. It reminds me of Rony, he made a promise while we were still dating. That night, we were celebrating our 2nd anniversary at The Edge, a couple in their 60s sat in front of us, celebrating his wife's birthday. The husband flame the candles and sang a birthday song by clapping his hands. The old woman delightly clapped her hands, close her eyes mumbling wishes and blew the candles. Her husband then stood up and walk towards her, kissed her forehead warmly with eyes closed. They were so sweet and Rony whispered to me,

"I will love you until you grow grey, I promise" he threw his pinky finger on mine.

I stared away, shall not be triggered by the past.

"I have to move on" I make a promise to myself, and continue eating my breakfast.

I keep smiling when I look at my plane ticket, the unconscious expression of happiness. For the first time of my life, I feel insane and brave. The adrenaline floods my system right into my blood at full pump. I feel like I'm gonna explode since I arrived to the airport. I touch my chest, calming my heart, close my eyes imagining things like I'm gonna have myself sitting down on the cliff when the sky is dark and the color of the city shines brightly like stars scattered on the ground, feeling the breeze of the air, the smell of the nature. I've always wanted to sit on the cliff and watch the stars shining in the night sky.

The airplane departs, I can see the landing strips passing through the window, the plane's engine buzzing and the stewardess starts the guidance of taking a flight. I love this city, when the plane take off, I can see the whole city from up here, crowded but tidy, a city of full buildings, long and grey highways where the colorful cars neatly stop by the line like marching ants. This city is lovely. I grab my camera and snap a picture at the view, so I could keep this in my memory, to remind myself of how beautiful this city is.

***

30 hours and 45 minutes of journey. I took 2 transists before I arrive at SEA (Seattle). The airport is very crowded, I move my head left and right like a child looking for her mother. I have to claim my luggage soon before taking off to the main city and find a place to stay. I must take a rest and find a part time job for living starting from tomorrow.

After my baggage claimed, I take the train to the main city, Seattle Central Business District. I thought it would be a great idea looking for a standard living apartment and a job. I can take a walk, so I don't need to rent any bike or take any transport everyday.

Seattle is the northernmost large city in the United States. The city of Seattle is a dreamlike city to me, crowded, towered buildings, and clean air. Still prefer mountains or lake, but I can't find a suitable job at the mountains or lake when I honestly don't really like the crowds, it's too hectic sometimes.

***

The night is happening and I CAN'T SLEEP. Indonesia's time is 15 hours ahead Seattle. I keep on changing my laying position. The night is empty and silent, I can see the yellowish street lights slid through the window. I grab my phone from the back of my pillow, blinking my eyes fast as if the phone's brightness might burn my retinas, it's midnight at Seattle.

I plug my earpods into my ears, playing some acoustic song for a lullaby. Then I got myself asleep a few minutes later.

***

When my alarm buzzing, my ears hurt when I open my eyes, the songs played 4 hours during my sleep. I found the curtains glow to the morning light. It reminds me of "looking for a part time job". I take a bath soon, leaving my blanket unfolded and dress myself as tidy as I could. I worked as a secretary before and I am pretty sure the standard of my appearance might win the score. I grab my bag of files, and rushed out from my apartment.

It took 4-5 hours to find a job. I was finally accepted as a waitress. It's weird thinking of my past self as a secretary, and I have ever think about of taking a bachelor at U.S.A. but then I changed my mind, I would need about 3-5 years to graduate, it is going to waste my time, besides, I was planning to move every 1-2 years from a city to another city or even country.

***

My time at Seattle was delightful, for the first time in my life I am feeling like my-true-self. I push myself out of the comfort zone.

I went to the Puget Sound. I took 10 days trip there. North of Seattle, Whidbey  Island is home to many attractive towns and natural attractions, like Deception Pass State Park. Directly West of Seattle, Bainbridge Island boasts beautiful landscapes and many fun things to do. I admires every side of the natures.

To the North of Puget Sound, the San Juan Islands offer even more of a watery world to enjoy. I also took a trip for some of the region's wildlife at the same time, the Friday Harbour Day Trip and Whale Watching tour from Seattle is a great option. This full day tour departs directly from downtown Seattle and includes round-trip ferry service, a 2-5 hour guided whale-watching cruise with an experienced naturalist, a visit to Friday Harbour on San Juan Island. Minke whales, humpbacks, orcas, seals, porpoises, otters, and bad eagles are just some of the maginificent animals while cruising.

I took like thousands of pictures of them. It was very great, even I spent my whole 3 months of savings working as a part time waitress. But I didn't regret anything. I saved myself and I would gladly do it repeatedly.

And my next journey...

The bus lurched stop, I took few steps past the sliding door, my boots click on the grey road in the bus stop. I turned my body, looking left and right rapidly like a typewriter. Nobody could have guessed I'd come so far. The mountain lays like a spine of the land, the trees stood tall below the snowy mountain. My white dress flimsy in the wind, I hold my skirt tight afraid the wind might expose my undies. I can't believe that I finally step on this beautiful Mount Rainier National Park. Followed by the others view for the next few months journey, like Victoria British Columbia, Olympic National Park, Mount St. Helens, Blake Island North Bend, North Cascades National Park, and Tacoma. Mostly mountains, I admit it how much I love the view from thousands feets above, they were gorgeous especially during the night. The city lights spread below, and the world felt so wide and free that I wanted to inhale more of its energy. Lights glittered everywhere just liked stars dropping to the earth, huge and small buildings collided in a mixture of shadow and geometry, tiny vehicles rushing along tangled lines of streets creating twisting threads of light - they all intertwined together in a magnificent mess of dream.

I closed my eyes, inhaling the positivity of the cold breezing air inside my lungs. The unpleasant experiences were faded. The world is bigger than I've ever thought, and I'm gonna explore more of them.

Last day in Seattle..

I was planning to stop by Portland before going to San Fransisco.

Throwing back to the time when I work as a waitress in Seattle, I heard the waiters talking.

"Ah Portland is amazing ! well, I'm gonna take a week break there" said Roy the waiter while washing the dishes

"right choice, brother ! you do camping with your lover?" asked Vincent, the other waiter

"Of course dude, I bring Julia with me" he replied

When I got home, I browse Portland and find interesting places to visit. That's why I change my plan, I stop by Portland first before going to San Fransisco.

What about the iconic top places in Seattle ? Well, like historical district, Museum, attractions, towers and zoo. They were pretty close to the apartment I lived. I took my Sunday walk there, sometimes during my break day. It was great in Seattle.

I smile as I scroll my laptop's touchpad, looking for thousands of the pictures I took from this past 1 year in Seattle.

I lean to the side of my bed, tilt my head to the luggage I prepared an hour ago. I will be moving to Portland tomorrow. Will just get started for the next itinerary I made during my me time inside the apartment.

My phone beeped and instagram notifications popped up.

I delete my instagram far before I move to Seattle, just to prevent any pictures or posts about Rony. I don't want to see him even in the picture. A week after I found out Rony with the new woman, they posted a picture together with hearts and kiss emoticons as the caption. It torn my heart into pieces, like a broken glass that won't fixed by anything. It was the second disaster in my life after my mom and dad's issues.

I tap the notification and it brings me to the new instagram's home, refers me to make a new ID.

It's been a year, I have moved on from Rony. But sometimes I still curious about how's life going on back there. Has Rony got married? Or other classmates married? Else.. or Kenny? Melissa?

In the past, my sisters got to send me DM-s which I replied everytime, they always ask me to come back home and live with them but I refused.

It's not a big deal, I should make a new instagram but keep it as a private account. Then I register a new account, input my emails and a password for my new ID.

The night is empty like usually, I yawned loudly, so tired but I have to take another flight tomorrow noon. I switch the instagram screen into the alarm section and lock my phone.