So my time in Seattle has come to an end...but never one to let good things pass me by, I went out to Seattle to see some of the wonderful sights that Seattle is known for...first stop, the Space Needle!!!

 It got overcast on our last day in Seattle...but you can still see how cool the Space Needle really is!! The Space needle hosts the Sky City Restaurant that rotates!!!  In exactly 47 minutes you could have a 360 degree, birds eye view of Downtown Seattle, Elliot bay, Mount Rainier, The Cascade & Olympic Mountains.

 

 

 

 

 Built in 1962 for the World's Fair that same year...the Space Needle is impressive by day or night.  Though I must admit that it is much smaller than I had anticipated...but still cool anyway you slice it. Oh and if it reminds you of the cartoon The Jetsons, you're not entirely crazy.  The Jetsons debuted in 1962 and the buildings in that cartoon were drawn with inspiration from the Space Needle.

 

 

So Leslie & I were feeling a lil' wacky & decided to have some fun in the Space needle gift shop.

 We're usually quite sane..but you just have to let loose sometimes...oh and have a camera to document it all!

 

 

While Leslie and I were picking out our wares at The Space Needle Gift Shop...a nice, Eco-Loving man named Jake whom we had met a short while before just outside, came into the Space Needle Gift Shop to return Leslie's Camera Case.  We were speaking with him earlier about his Eco-Friendly Jeep that was run on Bio Fuel (Vegetable Oil...basically) and his love for the environment.   He was working with a really great company that provided "Green" Adventure Tours.  Well  I guess in all the excitement we had walked away and left Leslie's camera case behind.  Twenty-Five minutes must have gone by when along came Jake to give us the case back.  Now that was just so kind and generous.  He had to have driven way out of his way and then back to return it.  So thanks to Jake, his wife & their Husky Dog for the kindness, we really appreciate it!!!

As I write this, I am on the Coast Starlight Train to San Francisco.  I must say that this is very peaceful & serene.   The views are pretty amazing...

Beautiful Puget Sound.  It's overcast but I can still appreciate the scenery. This, my friends, are what we are trying to save & protect...Nature...in it's pure form...got to love it!!

 

So check us out in San Fran if you can. Here is the location of where we will be & what we will be doing:

San Francisco, CA

6/6/07 (Wednesday)
Project: Native Nursery Plants Volunteers

Location: MLK Jr. Regional Shoreline Park

Time: 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM

I do hope that if you are in the San Francisco area that you will come on by, check us out & lend a helping hand...This is as much your trip as it is ours!!

Till Next Time!!

Marshana

 

 From Left to Right: Leslie Gant,  Mike Hedge, Mike McGuire, and Me...at Microsoft Headquarters in Redmond, Washington

 

 

 

 

Oh my...look at us...happy and free in Seattle.   I was so happy to get here and meet my team mates face to face.  They were each even more amazing in person!  We are each so different...but we each have the same common goal...protecting the environment and that is so awesome!!!

 

Our first stop was at Microsoft Headquarters in Redmond.  We got to meet the WONDERFUL staff behind this great project.  Marty, whom I met in NYC at my audition was ,there to greet us and show us around the gorgeous Microsoft Campus.  As you can see we got a little carried away enjoying the scenery.

I'm still shocked that no one came and told us to get off the sign!!

 

 

 

 

Miss Earth New York...all the way in Washington at Microsoft!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After a great day on The Microsoft Campus, Marty took us out to   GREAT restaurant in Downtown Kirkland.  There was an amazing view of Lake Washington...simply gorgeous.

 Post Card Perfect Scenery!!!

 

 

 

 

 

On Saturday we did our first "Green Project"  We spent some time in Seward Park  removing English Ivy.  English Ivy grows very well and can be invasive.  It spreads very rapidly and will spread over ANYTHING it it's path...including other plants.  Eventually it kills the plants and trees in it's path!!! The folks over at Earthcorp organized Ivy removal so that we could save the trees and other plants.  It was a great experience for me.  Being the "City Girl" on this trip the only Ivy I see is the kind that grows on buildings.  The only "country life" I know is the "Concrete Jungle"...and life back in my parents home, Jamaica.  But it was so great to walk on trails and through the woods. 

I'm excited about this trip and all that we are doing for the environment!  I am so grateful that I get to take this message across country and beyond my comfort zone of Brooklyn...stay tuned!!!

Marshana

By this same time tomorrow, I will be in Seattle!!! Whoa. I remember when I could count the days, now it's down to hours!!! From all accounts Seattle is BEAUTIFUL, and I cannot wait to see it!  Believe it or not I have still yet to pack.  I have been running around doing so much.  Besides with the excitement in me right now, I know that I will NOT be able to go to sleep tonight.  So I will have all night to get that out of the way.  I can catch all the rest that I need on the six-plus hour flight to Seattle tomorrow morning.  I like the feeling of sleeping on the plane, and waking up and I am already at my destination!!  Well the next time you all will be hearing from me, I will be in Seattle!!!

The past few Memorial Days over the years in NYC have been a wash out. Just rainy and dull. Well this year is totally different. The sun is shining, the breeze is cool and there's much to do. It's Fleet Week here in NYC, there are BBQ's galore, and picnic baskets are full. If I weren't having so much fun I would be packing. I have decided to wait until Tuesday night to pack. If I start packing now I will bring way too much with me. I have written down a list af the bare essentials and will pack them on Tuesday. This way I don't go overboard. Besides my nerves are just all a flutter with excitement. I can't wait to see Seattle, everyone says that it is sooo beautiful there..just two more days to go!!!

There's a lot that goes into getting ready to go away for 5 weeks.  I have been filling my days days and nights with friends and family, cleaning my home, emptying my fridge, packing and a host of other loose ends that must be tied up before I go.  Needless to say I am exhausted...last night (this morning) I went to bet at 3:30 AM!!! I am SOOOO tired!!  But it's a beautiful day here in Brooklyn, NY...the sun is shining, the people are happy, the weather is above 80 degrees and there is no way that I am going to miss such a beautiful day.  So I am going to get my bike and take it for another spin around the neighborhood, visit some friends, run some errands and soak up the sun!

It's hard to believe that in just 4 days I will be embarking on the journey of a lifetime!!! So much has changed since I walked into Nola Studios for my audition. There were so many people there...and so many others who auditioned in other cities to be a part of this Eco-Trip with Microsoft. I was hopeful and had a very good audition. I felt confident when I left there, but as with any audition...you never REALLY know. So you could imagine my excitement and surprise when I got the call that I had been chosen to be a part of the team...I was over the moon!!! So here I am, with 4 days to go, full of excitement and expectancy. I have been working hard trying to do all that I can to get ready for this trip. So I took my bike out today and did a couple of laps around Prospect Park. I need my biking skills to be as sharp as possible. It would surprise most people to know that I just learned how to ride a bike recently...and I LOVE it!!! Yes, at 26 years old I learned. But I am proof that you are never too old to learn how to do anything....it's never too late to do something positive. This also includes saving the environment. No matter how you've lived before, it's not too late to adapt one or two eco-friendly practices into your life. I recently just switched to CFL light bulbs in my home. It's not a HUGE change, but it makes such an impact on our environment....and on my electric bill. Well it's been a long day for me...bike riding, packing and trying to spend some time with my friends and family before I go. I'm so excited that I have the butterflies already...I can't wait!!! Marshana