Millennials constantly get a bad rep for being obsessed with food and taking photos of aforementioned food before they eat it. Apparently, a good 69% of us do so.

I’d appreciate it if everyone could now take this moment to raise their hand if they’re guilty of doing this. *raises hand* Many thanks, feel free to lower them now.

Over the past few months, my shamelessly self-proclaimed food Instagram has calmed into less of a food Instagram and more of what people might call a “regular Instagram” with actual photos of hoomans, myself included. But by and large, the subjects of my photography and the centers of my hang-outs with friends still center around food. (There is a reason why I re-named my blog “At the Table“.)

It should surprise no one then, that almost the entirety of the 251 photos I took in Seattle are food-related. And yet, somehow, I left the city thinking there was still so much left to experience and explore.

Initially, I booked tickets for Seattle to attend a high school friend’s wedding. She was the first of my close friends to get married, so I went into the entire trip and the specific day with very few expectations.

I ended up leaving the weekend in Seattle; as well as the wedding ceremony, her, her husband, and all their friends and family feeling very full — full-hearted, full of happiness and love.

Given that my friend was the star of the day, I didn’t get to spend too much time with her catching up. But the few moments we did share — in the chapel after the ceremony or at the reception as she wondered if she was supposed to be somewhere or if she could take a moment to actually eat her pie — gave me much warmth and contentment.

She and I first met in high school and being in orchestra together allowed us to become close friends rather rapidly. We ended up eating all of our lunches together during our last two years of high school, in the classroom of one of our favorite history teachers who signed one of our yearbooks during senior year with his infamous shark stamp and the message, “I’ve learned more than I would have liked to know about you two from all of your lunches here.”

Our teenage selves probably had what our adults selves would consider fickle conversations about boys and celebrity crushes, but our teenage selves perhaps thought we were quite well-versed. In what, I couldn’t begin to say.

I’m quite happy to say that we’ve since had many more significant, deep conversations about ourselves, our aspirations, and yes, the men in our lives. However, this last topic isn’t the sole thread that strings her and my lives together over the years; we’ve also always had these conversations over food (and/or good Seattle coffee).

Although this weekend trip was far too short and there remains so much of Seattle (and its food) to explore, I feel comforted knowing that so many of the conversations and interactions I had during this time — that were initiated at their roots, by food and drink and the shared experiences of them — were so fulfilling.

To many more trips that bring about coffee dates, deep dinner conversations, and almost-completed reunions. May the food and drink you consume always bring satisfaction and warmth to our lives.

Cheers to the happy couple, and many happy returns.