tulip's big springtime adventure
hiiiii! i’m back from Tulip’s Big Springtime Adventure!!
it’s been a bit since the last time i was on the west coast—last time was November 2024, when i visited a close friend in Portland—and i was patiently waiting for a good opportunity to visit again. i really love the Pacific Northwest… the tall redwood trees, the mountains, the cool air…! ohhhh, it makes me so happy. a lot of my friends live in the area, too, so it’s always really nice to spend time with folks offline.
i spent my stay in Portland relaxing with a very dear friend of mine. we shared a hotel room together for a few days, hitting up some local shops and food carts, admiring flowering trees, etc. having just arrived from Minnesota during the greyest, bleakest time of year, i would not shut up about how green and colorful everything was. the grass was green! flowers were blooming! i could see tulips growing in people’s yards!!
AND: it was cherry blossom season! i was so worried i’d miss it, but there were still plenty of trees adorned with light pink blossoms.
one of the other highlights of our Portland trip: we visited The Everett House, a queer/trans inclusive, clothing-optional spa. it was an incredible experience, to be honest. i spent a while just soaking in their outdoor hot tub, while gentle morning rain softly drizzled around me. words truly can’t describe how it felt to let my entire body soak in hot water. my chronic pain just… vanished for a while. i legitimately don’t remember the last time i felt so relaxed and painless. if you live in the area and you have chronic pain and fatigue: holy shit, i absolutely recommend it. (also, the garden is super cute. i spent a while sitting at the fire pit, admiring the bamboo and other plants growing around the place.)
after a spending few days in Portland, it was time to take a road trip up to Seattle for Sakura-Con. i hadn’t been to Seattle before—i mean ok, i was in Seattle briefly while traveling somewhere else, but that doesn’t count—so i was really excited to see some new sights, and meet up with local friends.
it had also been a very long time since i had been to an anime convention. like… 9 or 10 years, maybe?? so that was exciting. my friends talked me into renting a power wheelchair for the con, and helped cover some of the cost. that was honestly a huge relief for me; i don’t know if i would’ve been able to manage such a big convention otherwise! i probably would’ve fainted at some point. (or more. lmao.) maneuvering was a little tricky sometimes, since i always had to find elevators and ramps, but i got used to the controls pretty quickly. honestly, the most disorienting thing was being lower to the ground… i felt like i got lost a lot easier, and it was difficult to reach things sometimes. other than that, it was such a good idea to use a wheelchair.
also at the con i saw a copy of Castlevania: Symphony of the Night for the Sega Saturn next to a copy of Rondo of Blood, and i got so excited that i actually squealed.
i didn’t even buy them. but i was just happy to see them.
as for the con itself, i spent most of my time wandering the artist alley and arcade. i don’t get a chance to go to arcades very often, but when i do, i usually gravitate towards pinball tables and puzzle games, hehe. they had the bizarre Roller Coaster Tycoon pinball machine, complete with its baffling Troll doll and all. but in particular, i really enjoyed playing Godzilla Pinball, even as someone who does not know a damn thing about Godzilla. it has some REALLY fun mechanics, it kind of blew my mind when i was playing it!
btw, here’s some of the stuff i bought from the artist alley:
crochet Pokémon: Crochet Creatives
disk print: ZEROTYPE
Espeon and Umbreon stickers: gintoeki
waving calico cat keychain: gud_doodle
Alucard sticker: PunishedMiqote
Espeon and Umbreon pin: Yuxine
Black cat bookmark: Tannin Arceo
Testament and Nurse Joy stickers: ByronB
there are a few more things i got, but i don’t have them with me right now 😅 like a cube-shaped calico cat plush that a friend won for me from a crane game, or the big fluffy Skitty plush i bought, or the Sakura Miku figure that a friend bought for me…
before leaving Seattle, we decided to stop at Pike Place and walk around for a bit. i’m really glad we did—it was such a beautiful day, and it was nice to see the waterfront. nice to walk around, grab a coffee, look at knickknacks, etc.
honestly, it was a very busy week for me. i mean, cons are busy for anyone, but my day-to-day life is fairly uneventful. i sit at home, i do the chores i can, and sit on the couch when my body hurts too much to do anything else. rinse, repeat, over and over and over.
but i’m really blown away by how much fun i had. how so many of my friends came together, and made something special happen. i got to see sights i’ve never seen before—during my stay in Seattle, it was clear enough that i got a good view of Mt. Rainier MULTIPLE TIMES!!—and spend time with friends that i haven’t seen offline in months or years. or ever, i got to meet some people offline for the first time. none of this would’ve been possible if it wasn’t for the time and effort that my friends put into it. i feel deeply fortunate and lucky…
i’m not sure how to describe the emotions that i keep experiencing. it’s overwhelming and complex; some combination of feeling humbled, gratefulness, and love. i am just one tulip. sometimes it feels like i used to be a small, pathetic stray kitten, sopping wet and lost on a rainy street, until someone picked me up and took me in. and now that person is one of my closest friends, and i am soooo big and fluffy and warm and full of love.
this trip really healed my heart. i’ve been dealing with so much intense stress lately, and all of this could not have come at a better time. i’m still pretty nervous about the future! but i’ve recovered some health now, and things feel a little less scary knowing that i have allies by my side.
PS: i was not terribly impressed by O’Hare Airport on my flight back home to the midwest, but i’ll admit: the rainbow tunnel was pretty cool.
