Work, play, friends, social media: it’s all connected

Yesterday included work, play, friends, and social media – and as I crossed the Puget Sound on a ferry headed to Poulsbo for a design brainstorming meeting for the new game I’m working on as an independent contractor, I realized how completely connected work, play, friends, and social media have been in my life during the past few years.

Six years ago, I started this blog on a whim.  I had no idea what I’d write about; I just wrote.

Five years ago, a woman named Lynn left a comment on my blog. It seems that we had much in common, most notably our passion for and experience in developing educational media for kids.  Whereas I was on the content and project management side, she and her husband were graphic artists, having designed some stunningly beautiful visuals for textbooks.

Eventually, Tom and I did meet Lynn and John (who live in Poulsbo… getting the connection?), and we had a wonderful time together, visiting their beautiful town and then, a few months later, touring wineries in our town. Then Lynn and John introduced us to their son, Dax, who is an amazing and talented musician who has worked on music for Disney and Nickelodeon, as well as a bunch of kids’ computer games, and even toured with InSynch!  Lynn, John, Dax, and I talked about how great it’d be to eventually work together on a kids’ media project, and we had confidence that someday that time would come.

So that’s connection #1.

Four years ago I joined LinkedIn and have been fairly active in that arena ever since, establishing, renewing, and  nurturing professional connections, joining groups of like-minded professionals, and exploring various people and companies.

The company I am currently freelancing for found me on LinkedIn.

So that’s connection #2.

I was hired for at least one previous job (and possibly more) based primarily on my knowledge of and passion for social media and blogging, and that involvement and inspiration has been more instrumental to my career than a paper resume ever was!  For everyone who doubts the power of social media in career development, you only have to look at my experience to see its influence.

And now, just because I feel like it (and because you know you want a “Seattle break” from your own work, right?), I’ll take you on a trip across the Puget Sound on a beautiful, crisp Seattle day.

Yay!  A ferry ride!  Yes, Seattle-ites still get excited about them!  (Well, unless they’re part of your daily commute.)

What?  You’re wondering how giraffes and elephants (look carefully!) and palm trees got to Seattle?!  So am I.

This photo was taken as I got onto the ferry in Edmonds.  That was after the nice ferry woman (not fairy woman – though she seemed like Tinkerbell to me because she performed magic when I most needed it) jumped my car because I’d left my lights on in line.  I missed that ferry, dummy me.

See those big windshield wipers?  They use those. A lot.

The Olympic mountains!  Aren’t they gorgeous?

It’s a short 30-minute ride from Edmonds to Kingston.

This photo is dedicated to Allie, my former co-worker at The Gottman Institute, who wrote this on my Facebook wall this morning: “I dreamt last night that I watched a news report about your new project and there were a bunch of colorful woodland creatures involved.”  Seriously – she did!  I took this photo of woodland creatures yesterday right after I got off the ferry in Kingston because they cracked me up.

I know – weird, right?!  Allie and I are connected!

(And gas prices are ridiculous.)

This photo was taken after I parked in front of Lynn and John’s house.  Yes, that’s how close they live to beautiful Liberty Bay!

And this is just a little stream that winds through their neighborhood…

…and even through their backyard!

We worked all day, brainstorming this new project we’re designing.  But pictures of people brainstorming aren’t that fascinating, so I have no photos for you of that.  I do, however, have photos of our walk into town to grab lunch.

This intersection cracks me up.  I really need to send this photo to “Uncle Harry”!  Tom’s cousin is married to Harrison Ford’s brother, Terrence.  That does make him Uncle Harry, doesn’t it?  Even if we never met him?  (Which we haven’t.)

Ah, the quaint and adorable Scandinavian town of Poulsbo, Washington…

…so charming!

And not full of tourists… today.

And here are our superheroes, Lynn and John!  Doesn’t it look like John is just about to head into that phone booth?

Graffiti, Poulsbo style.

The hours flew by and by the time I headed back home, we’d devised the beginnings of an awesome educational kids game!  No I can’t give you details.  Yet.

This photo is Photoshopped, but only to show you what the evening sun on the Cascade Mountains really looked like.  Had I turned around 180 degrees, I’d have seen the Olympic Mountains.  Yes, this region is that beautiful!

Does this shot remind you of any particular movie?