Yesterday I really struggled with productivity so I decided to do the counterintuitive thing and go somewhere new to study. I’ve been using this new app called Nudge (review coming soon!) which suggests cool places to go and things to do in the Seattle area. I got a Nudge to visit Ballard and decided it might be a great way to find a nice coffee shop where I wouldn’t be surrounded by distractions like my TV, or my dogs (as much as I love them they are also huge attention whores). I would be away from my bed where I always fall asleep even if that’s not what I went there to do.
I left the house at around nine and arrived in Ballard just over an hour later. I had to pay $5 for parking, but that was super reasonable for parking right in the middle of Ballard. The coffee shop I visited, the Anchored Ship, was perfect! It was super cozy, small but with a great atmosphere, and good drinks. They had tons of options for a good chai and so I used my new favorite phrase, ‘surprise me!’ and was met with the pleasant taste and aroma of a lavender chai to pair with a cardamom bun baked at a nearby bakery. While the chai was delicious I think that the bun was probably only good when it was fresh out of the oven. It had hardened and the flavors were muted.
My other pleasant surprise was that my spontaneous Sunday trip was greeted with the Ballard Farmer’s Market happening right outside the coffee shop. I rewarded my three hours of hard studying with a stroll down the stalls that led me to the most delicious ground cherry jam from Growing Washington, some Cocoa Caliente granola from Marge Granola, and flowers that I purchased. Along the way, I also tried some delicious farm fresh cheese, bbq sauce, artisanal pasta, mushrooms, and more. I love finding new things to try that are local, and fresh, and the fact that I can count on whatever I’m purchasing being ethically sourced I can feel better about the things I put on my plate.
At around noon I headed back home and took an unintentionally long nap that filled the afternoon. I bought Thai food from Ayothaya for my mom and I and then went to bed early because for whatever reason I was still brutally exhausted.
