What a view!!

So a couple of weeks ago I went on an awesome cruise to Alaska with a group of friends. Had an excellent time and fabulous experiences. So, I'm sure you're expecting a blog about how wonderful everything was (it was) accompanied by photos of breathtaking scenery (it was, too). Yeah about that..... 

Me being me, while I am going to write about the start of the trip (screeching brakes and sudden turn, you know, like when I'm driving and see an awesome photo opportunity), I'm writing about the excellent view from my hotel window in Seattle the night before we boarded the ship.

I get from the airport to the hotel (which is a nice hotel near the port), get to the room, set down my stuff, open up the curtains to see the view...

..... a creepy old dilapidated vacant building, of course.

Now, I'm thinking most people would be annoyed and disappointed in the view. But then there's me. OMG! Just look at that building!!! Look at the character!! Look at the detail!! and out comes my camera....

Not sure how long I stood there looking at the building and taking photos, but I found it fascinating, and the questions started rolling through...

When was it built? How long has it been vacant? How many different ways was it used? Did people live there? Was it just for industry? What types of businesses? Why are the doors where they are, and what did they lead to? Why are some of them boarded up while others are bricked in? Why are there windows that look like they used to be doors? Why are some only partially bricked? Why so many different brick finishes? Why are there exterior stairs in the locations they are now, and why were the other ones removed? Who left empty bottles on what would be the 4th floor window ledge of a bricked in window? Why are the windows broken where they are? What ghosts live there now?? And it went on and on....

Everything changes. We live in a world of change. This old building was probably the best of the best at one point in time and a shining example of new things to come. It appears to have been modified many times. I can only tell a small story with photos about its current condition, but don't you just wonder about the stories it could tell???

I'm finding it fun to view the changing world with curiosity, and capturing points in time with a camera. I'm learning that instead of fighting to keep things the same, sometimes it's better to see what changes can lead to something better instead of holding on to the past where it no longer makes sense. We can have a history without living in our history. Nothing wrong with the old story, but what story do I want to live going forward??

At some point I will share the Alaska awesomeness, but for now, here are a few of my views of a fascinating building through a dirty hotel window...