Welcome to another blog post that is posted months after it should have been. Today I am going to talk about one of the most naturally beautiful places in the world, Italy. Specifically, our recent trip to Tuscany in April. While this was not my first trip to the country, it was certainly one of the most memorable ones.
Florence might be my favorite European City. Certainly, my favorite that I have been to in a while. Florence feels like it hopped out of the pages of a fairy tale. Between the cobbled streets, impressive churches, and breathtaking Arno River, Florence had everything one could imagine. However, what sets Florence apart from many European cities is the modern feel that it has as well. Florence is one of the centers of high fashion, and it shows. My dad and I joked that it seemed like everyone was about to walk down a runaway. It almost seemed like everyone only had leather jackets in their closets ;). Additionally, the contrast between the impressive Renaissance-era architecture and the modern swankiness of the fashion industry is a reminder of the interconnected nature of human existence. The past and present have merged to create a beautiful city in Florence as we all look toward the future. As we watched the sun set on our day in Florence, listening to the wonderful live music, the world seemed to stand still. The natural beauty of the Arno River and the sun’s shimmering light combined with the manmade beauty of the beautiful bridges and cobbled streets is a sight I will never forget.
As someone who has been born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, hiking has been everywhere in my life. Yet nothing in my 17 years as a resident of the hiking capital of the United States prepared me for our hike to Cinque Terre. That day, my parents decided that the hike would be more beautiful than simply watching it from the train, which was a fair point (side note: public transport in Europe is so much better than in the United States). Therefore, we decided to hike the trail. However, my mom had misread both the elevation change and the total distance of the hike. We went into it thinking it would be a short 1.2-mile hike that would take very little time. However, the actual distance was over 3 miles long with significant elevation changes. It almost felt like doing the push-up test in high school with every elevation change. “Down, Up 1”. What made it worse was the fact that I had to wait for my parents. I do love them very much, but they aren’t exactly the spring chickens they used to be. My sister and I frequently went ahead and ended up having to wait for them to catch up. The wait was almost more tiring than the actual hike. However, the views were spectacular and were worth the arduous hike. Even if the sun did not aid in making the hike easier, I do still love watching it make the water shimmer and turn the sky orange during sunset.
Tuscany is arguably one of the most naturally beautiful places in the world. The rolling hills seem to sparkle in the sun. Looking out at them I could imagine the various rom-coms that must have been filmed here. My dad jokes that the Italian people must be bored of the beautiful rolling hills and want to view the flat cornfields of Indiana. I, on the other hand, did not find that joke funny. What I did find spectacular were the various little towns that dotted the countryside, forts from a bygone era that were now tourist attractions. Each looked like a real-life castle from a Disney movie, bringing life to this landscape. It was easy to imagine some Shakespearean comedy unfolding before your very eyes in this landscape. The beautiful churches are the scenes for a wedding while the walled cities provide defense against outsiders. The whole experience felt surreal and unforgettable.
My trip to Italy helped me decompress. The stress of college decisions washed away as I was able to truly enjoy spending time with my family. Sure, I will miss the various friends I have when I depart for college. Yet, it is my family that I will miss the most, and getting to spend that quality time with them was important to me. However, I know that they have their full support when I do go and leave and I couldn’t have asked for a better family. Here is to hoping for more fun trips with the people we love the most. See you next time at Pranay’s Seattle Departures.
Today, I am going to take a bit of a break from the international travel stories and talk about my most recent trip to Hawaii, where I revisited one of my favorite islands: the Big Island. While I have been to Hawaii multiple times, I am only going to talk about my most recent trip. I don’t want to make this too long. Hawaii is always a fun place to visit. It’s a great chance to relax, slow down, swim, and, most importantly, spend time with family.
Swimming has always been a favorite part of my trips to Hawaii. This last trip to the island was no different. The sense of calm that washes over me as I float in the sea is unparalleled. The laughs we have as a big wave comes and my sister gets smacked back by it are etched into my mind. Sometimes, I can laugh a little too hard. Before I can stop, I can taste the saltwater from my sister splashing me. Even now, I can hear my mom chasing us for fooling around in the big, powerful ocean or swimming too far out as we go out exploring marine life. The thrill of swimming right next to a turtle or watching a school of fish swimming right by your ear is unmatched and something I will never forget.
Swimming, tropical weather, and beautiful ocean views are all part and parcel of visiting Hawaii. Yet, what makes the Big Island unique and honestly one of my favorite islands is the diversity of landscapes found within its borders. The Big Island consists of 8 of the 13 different climate zones in the world, and it shows. Simply driving down from Mauna Kea to the coast provides you with a snapshot of all this planet has to offer. Between the volcanic tunnels that stretch out all over Mauna Kea, the rolling hills, the tropical rainforests, and the new rocky lava deserts near the coast, Big Island has a lot to offer. It is a strong reminder of the power of Mother Nature and the effort the native people of Hawaii have put into preserving this space.
One of the most iconic landscapes on the Big Island is the various black sand beaches. On this trip, we went to a black sand beach that did not exist the last time we went (2017). The sand was very fine and seemed to come straight out of a Bollywood movie. I swear if you squint hard enough you could see Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol dancing to Gerua, (hence my Instagram reel that day). Yet, as soon as I posted a reel with the black sand and Gerua playing in the background, I instantly regretted it. For those of you that keep up with my other Instagram, you will notice the recurring Shah Rukh Khan references from my friends, with one even saying that I am a “walmart goodwill landfill srk dupe”, so this Instagram reel only added fuel to the fire. Yet, despite the jokes aside, the beach was breathtaking and an experience I will never forget.
Ultimately, my favorite moment from this trip came on our last day. After we went to the sandy beach we had repeatedly visited on this trip and swam around for an hour—racing each other, splashing water onto each other, and competing to find the most sea creatures—we all began to tread water. As we all floated in the water, a sense of tranquility washed over us as the sky was lit ablaze during golden hour. As the sun began to set on our trip in multiple ways, we could do nothing but appreciate the beauty in front of us and treasure it as a memory for years to come.
Today, I am going to talk about the final country I traveled to on my trip to Poland and the Czech Republic, which coincidentally was the first one I visited on that trip and the last one to be posted about. Today, we are going to talk about my trip to Budapest, Hungary’s capital. Budapest was an exciting trip full of rich history, stunning architecture, and vibrant culture, and I got to experience it all with my grandparents too!
One of the most memorable experiences of not only that trip but my life was the boat ride I took on the Danube River. It was one of our first days of vacation, and it was unforgettable. The Danube River was majestic, its power splitting the city into 2 parts, Buda, and Pest. As I lay back in my seat, next to the people I love most, I was fascinated by the might of the city around me. As the voice of the tour guide came on, the dichotomy between the Soviet era’s past and the modern future became clearer to me. My ears were told of the horrors of Soviet control while my eyes saw the beautiful city in front of me. The indomitable human spirit was ever-present that day, the ability to fight through oppression and horror was amazing to witness in person. One thing that stuck with me from that boat ride was how my parents spoke about it. Growing up, they never thought they would be able to explore countries like Hungary due to the Iron Curtain that had fallen over Eastern Europe and how expensive travel was. Yet now, here they were, with their parents and their children, exploring the world! What was even more interesting was my Nana’s (my grandfather’s) perspective on it all. As a high-ranking officer in the Indian military, he is one of the few people who traveled to Soviet Russia. His insights into the history of the Cold War were especially interesting. His knowledge of history and unique experiences are limitless, and he is so special to me.
The Hungarian Parliament was something to marvel at. The rich history of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the age of Soviet Control, and the modern rebuilding and urbanization were all woven together to form a masterpiece of a building. As my dad read our Rick Steves guidebook, I stood in awe of everything around me. It wasn’t just the main attractions that were stunning, such as the Hungarian Holy Crown, The Chamber of Peers, The Dome Hall, or The Grand Staircase, everything was. Everything seemed to invoke a sense of power, prestige, and awe. At every corner was something magnificent, whether it be stained glass ceilings, beautiful paintings, grand chandeliers, or vaulted ceilings, everything seemed to be straight from a movie. It felt like every single corner was flushed with magic, a reminder of the great history Hungary has and the power of it all, right before my eyes, with the people I love most.
Part of what made this trip so special to me was the fact that it was the first trip I had taken with my grandparents in a long time. I got to spend a lot of quality time with them on this trip, something that I value, especially after the pandemic. During our trip, my grandparents often got tired and returned to the hotel room for an afternoon siesta. During these times, while my Nana (my grandfather) would sleep, my Nani (my grandmother), my sister, and I would watch the ICC Cricket World Cup. I I loved watching it with my Nani and being able to connect with her on sports is one of my favorite things. It brought me back to when I traveled to India during the Olympics, and we would get up at 2 AM together to watch the swimming events in the Olympics. Being able to connect on sports with my nani is one of my favorite things, and I am sure that I got my fanatical fandom from her. I learned so much about cricket during this time and simply got to live in the moment with her, so while the end result may have not gone India’s way (England won sadly), I will always cherish the memories of watching it with her and my sister, debating on the best path forward for the team. Frequently on my blog posts, I talk about the places I go to, but oftentimes, the people make a trip memorable, and my grandparents certainly did.
The one downside about traveling is the lack of home food. No matter how good the food of a place is, nothing beats home food. Every time I return home, I always make sure to eat a good plate of simple rice and dal, enjoying the comfort. Luckily, this issue was non-existent in Hungary. My mom, through a blogger friend she has, found a highly rated Indian restaurant overlooking the Danube. The food was spectacular and the view was stunning. It really captivated me and the food, the place, and the people made me feel grateful to just exist and be in the moment. Life can be so wonderful and sometimes it’s the small moments that stick with us. That trip to Hungary, Poland, and the Czech Republic was full of those small, beautiful moments and many educational opportunities. Hopefully, I get a chance to revisit them soon with the people I love! I hope we can all learn to slow down, and enjoy the small moments in life, because you never know when certain moments will become the memories you cherish.
Hi everyone! Today, I want to talk about my trip to Poland. One of the most memorable and informative places I have ever been to. It was such a unique destination. I had a lot of fun and learned a lot on the trip, these are my favorite kind of trips :). So let’s dive into Polska, “The Land of Fields”
I went to Poland in the summer of 2019 with my parents and grandparents just before Covid hit. On the same trip, we went to Prague and Hungary as well. To get from Hungary to Poland, we got a driver and a van as the train and plane connection for the 6 of us was not a viable option. The driver Thomas was Polish and was a very interesting and knowledgeable person. He told all of us about the history of Eastern Europe in World War 2. He pointed out significant locations where the Germans attacked and how Eastern Europe had to deal with the USSR as soon as they were done with the war. Looking outside as we drove past, it was remarkable and inspiring how quickly and how well this part of Europe has managed to rebuild itself. He had interesting anecdotes to share as we drove from Budapest via Slovakia to Krakow in Poland.
The scenery was spectacular. We stopped at a hill town called Zakopane for lunch. The food was amazing and I especially enjoyed the potatoes and dumplings. The Tatra mountains loomed large around us wherever we looked. Did you know that the Tatra mountains became a National Park in 1955 and were also established as an official UNESCO biosphere reserve?
After spending a few hours in Zakopane we continued our journey to Krakow. My Grandfather had been to Poland before on an official trip from India in the late 1990’s so it was interesting talking to him about it. Krakow is one of Poland’s largest cities. It has the most amazing architecture and the old town is also a UNESCO heritage site. Seeing the old town lit up at night was the highlight of my trip. It was straight out of a movie. We sat outside in the middle of the old town and devoured some awesome sausages 🙂 Krakow also has a well-preserved Jewish Quarter and walking around there felt like a history lesson coming alive. My mind had endless questions and it was a great learning experience.
Last, but certainly not least, was a trip to The former Oskar Schindler’s Enamel Factory. My grandfather and younger sister did not come as it might have been too much for her. I was both apprehensive and curious to visit this museum. The former factory now houses a permanent exhibition entitled Kraków under Nazi Occupation 1939-1945. It presents both individual and collective dimensions of the monstrosities the war had brought upon Polish citizens.
My Dad explained a lot of stuff to me while we walked through the museum. I will never forget the experience, it’s a must-see for everyone even slightly interested in history. It tells the gripping history of Krakow during World War II. I came away with a better understanding and knowledge of what happened all those years ago.
Poland was superb, the food was delicious, the architecture captivating, the people were friendly and the history had so many layers to it. It was a fascinating experience and a wonderful trip with my family.
Hi everyone, it feels good to be back to blogging. Now that school is over, I hope to show up around here more often. Today, I want to talk about my recent trip to Chicago. This trip was one for the record books!! My single and most chaotic and fun trip to date 😊 What was meant to be a simple trip with my school for a National conference turned out to be much more. I will attempt to share the craziness of it all.
Some quick background information, I am part of an organization called the Future Business Leaders of America organization or FBLA for short. In FBLA, students can compete in different types of business events at the regional, state, and national levels, FBLA also enables further education in the business world and helps in networking with people across the nation. During this past school year, I was lucky enough to qualify, along with 45 other students from my school for the National Conference in Chicago. I was so excited to attend the event. While I was thrilled to be competing at a national level, this trip was also my first step to adulthood and independence. This was going to be my first solo trip without my parents. I was excited and have to admit a tad bit nervous about what was to come. Little did I know how interesting it would be.
After a long flight and a super eventful subway ride to get to our hotel in the wee hours of the morning, my roommates and I crashed in our hotel room at 4 AM. I could just picture my mom at home pacing up and down trying to figure out why a train ride that was to take an hour took several hours😜 Let’s just say some trains did not show up and the others ran late!! Also trying to get 45 people to one destination proved to be an event in itself!
So my roommates and I were super exhausted and slept the entire morning. As a result, we missed our field trip to Six Flags. When we woke up we decided to get groceries and study for the upcoming tests to qualify for our event. My teammate, Arav, and I were nervous that we would not get past the test and onto the presentation. We studied for hours. After way too many hours of studying, Arav and I were feeling relatively confident! Arav, Chendur, Nikhil, Kim, Sasi, (a few of my friends and roommates), and I then went to scout out the conference center where the event was to be held. The conference center was a beautiful building. It had a sky bridge that went across a highway to connect to the various buildings. It had a clean modern look with tall ceilings that gave it a grand feeling. It was a magnificent place for a National Conference.
Taking the test the next day was stressful, to say the least. While there were some questions where our studying did pay off, I did not feel that great. After our event, we spent the day attending some workshops. The first one was called Speed Dating Interviews. It was a workshop where one learned interview tips through quick 1 minute conversations with random people. No actual speed dating was involved for obvious reasons :). While the workshop was a tad bit helpful, I personally didn’t find it as interesting. I felt like I already knew a lot of the stuff. However, the next workshop was significantly better.
This next workshop was called Quick Pitch. The premise was to give a 1-minute pitch on a topic that the organizer chose. It was like a shorter version of Shark Tank. Additionally, there was a cash prize for the best team. Nikhil, Chendur, and I formed one team and we waited for the topic to be given. Our topic was “What is the best beverage? As a joke, my team chose Ginger Ale. and pitched that Ginger Ale makes you rich, protects you from cancer, and helps one “get shredded and bench 135” (obviously all a joke). As you can see, we were very professional :). My other friends similarly pitched the idea that only “sigma males” drink sparkling water as their pitch. We all went up expecting nothing except a good time. Yet when they read out the finalists, we heard our names being called! Our nonchalance looked like confidence to the judges as we moved on to the next round! It was a wild and fun experience that I will never forget. Nikhil, Chendur, and I went on to win the finalist round, which was about the best pizza restaurant. Our slogan was “MOD Out Pizzas The Hut”. It was truly a special workshop.
Later, we got even more great news. Arav and I had qualified for the finalists round! We were among the Top 15 teams in the nation. We were so excited and felt we had a great chance at placing high. I have to say that we were much more confident in our presentation skills than our testing skills. We decided not to waste any more time in workshops or the expo hall. We spent our time studying from then on out. When the time came for our presentation, we were both extremely nervous. I could feel the eyes of the judges staring back at us. During the awards session, they kept listing out which state the top 10 teams were from. I remember counting on my fingers how many teams they called. With each finger that went up, we began losing hope. 5, 6, 7, 8, and still no “Washington”. The wait between the 8th team and the 9th team felt like it would go on forever. When I heard California for 9 and 10, we were crushed. This was my one shot at placing at Nationals. We were so close to being on stage and celebrating. However, maybe we let the pressure get to us and stumbled.
I was devastated for the rest of that day and I still am a bit today. However, I take solace in the fact that I got to be in Chicago and meet so many cool people and spend time with my friends. I got to see my school have immense success with 15 students up on stage and 3 students becoming champions of the world. I explored a new city and 2 new colleges. I got the opportunity to become more independent and learn more about myself without my parents around. I spent time with my friends and had a lot of fun. In the end, these memories are what will matter. Thanks for reading. Catch you next time on Pranay’s Seattle Departures!
India is my home. Even though I am an American citizen by birth, I will never forget my heritage, my country, and my roots. Despite all the trips I have taken to foreign countries, my favorite will always be India. Going to see my grandparents is a huge pleasure for me. I hope that I can help you understand how much this place means to me.
Beautiful India
The highlight of my trip is going to see my grandparents. My Nana (my maternal grandfather) and my Nani (my maternal grandmother) live in Delhi. Whenever we fly to India, we spend the majority of our time with them. It is always fun to come to the baggage pick-up, grab some liquor for my Nana at the Duty-Free section, and try to see over the tall people to spot my grandparents as we leave the airport. Even though I have been to India more than 10 times, the feeling of running up to my Grandparents and giving them a big hug never goes away and it never will.
My sister and I with my grandparent’s dog
My Nani is the best cook on the planet (sorry Mom :)). Anything and everything my heart desires will be specially made for me by my Nani. All the Indian delicacies, be it saag chicken, chicken tikka, or dahl and rice, anything she makes turns out perfect. She is the best. One thing I love that she makes is called Nimki, a sort of cookie. She is great at making them and they are so good. Whenever I come home from India, I always make sure to bring some Nimkis home to remind me of the taste of India. These Nimkis are so good that when we come home from India, we always make sure to have some extra for my friends! She truly has a gift for cooking that is simply unparalleled. I hope that I can be half as good as she is when I grow older. Her dedication to her cooking inspires me to put my maximum effort into doing activities. She is something special.
Chilling in my grandparents’ beautiful home
My Nana is a hilarious guy. He never fails to entertain us with his jokes and his sense of humor. The interactions between him and my little sister never fail to amaze me! My Nani often says that those two are the biggest drama people in the house :). He also is a huge history nerd :). Ask him about any major world event and he is guaranteed to have something to say about it that you have not considered before. Every conversation I have with him, I feel like I have grown smarter than I was before. He is so knowledgeable and well-read and I hope that I can take after him in his regard as I grow up. After all, being specialized and skilled at your job is great, but if you cannot connect to people outside of that one interest, it’s a pretty narrow vision. I hope to take after him and be more worldly, something that I hope everyone will strive for.
My sister and my grandparents with me, all dressed up for an Indian wedding.
Going to India also means going to see my Grandparents helpers. My grandparents are old and they need help doing certain things, so they employ two people two help them, Amarjeet and Prem. My sister and I, however, call them Amarjeet Bhaiya and Prem, Bhaiya which means “brother” . They have been helping my grandparents for many years now. Amarjeet Bhaiya is a great cook and he helps out my Nani a lot. His rotis are something special! One of my favorite things to do with him is to play cricket. Most days my sister and I come downstairs from my grandparents’ apartment and head to the local park to play cricket. While Sneha and I are really not great at cricket, we all still have lots of fun. I miss those days.
India is truly my second home and I always love to go there and visit my family. I am proud of my Indian heritage and it’s a big part of my identity. While other Indian-American kids may struggle with balancing their American and Indian identities, I have had no issues due to the wonderful times I have spent there. So many times my friends are reluctant to go to India as they find it “antiquated” and “boring”. Yet, I can’t wait to go back. COVID-19 has taken away the ability to go to India and I had not seen my grandparents for three years. I missed them a lot.
Horse-riding in India
Thankfully, they are now with us in America and I can see them in person. I still remember that after trying to bring them over here during COVID for so long, my parents finally managed to book a flight and I began to cry. I do not cry very often but knowing then that I would see them soon was enough to break me. I hope I can go back to see India at least one more time before I graduate high school and get super busy with college .
Thank you all for reading this post. See you all next time on Pranay’s Seattle Departures! Next time I will take you on another journey in India with my paternal Grandparents 😊
The title must have surprised some of you. Isn’t this a travel blog? Yes, it is a travel blog, but it is also my blog. You see, I am a huge Seahawks fan and I felt compelled to voice my opinions about this team. So if you all could bear with me for this post, I would really appreciate it.
The Seattle Seahawks are a mess of a football organization.
This organization under the leadership of Pete Carroll has fallen from its 2013 Super Bowl glory to a 3-6 football team. Questions are swirling around Russell Wilson’s future, Pete Carroll’s capability as a modern NFL head coach, John Schneider’s perplexing draft decisions, the disaster that was the Jamal Adams trade, and much more. Today, I want to talk about how we got here and why we need to move on forward, whether that future involves Pete Carroll or not.
Pete Carroll is starting to look like 70 year old he really is.
After the 2017 season where Seattle failed to make the playoffs, Pete Carroll had some difficult decisions to make. With a deteriorating defense, inept coaching, horrible offensive line play, and no decent running backs to speak of, there were rumors about Pete Carroll considering retirement. However, Pete Carroll decided that instead of retiring, he wanted to give coaching one more shot with a “reset”, hoping to win one more Super Bowl. However, Carroll’s reset has been a complete failure due to poor drafting, perplexing free agency moves and a philosophy that is at odds with the modern game.
Bad drafting has been perhaps the chief reason behind this failure of a reset. The Seahawks have drafted 31 players between 2018 and 2021. Out of those players, how many could you say are true studs, DK Metcalf and Michael Dickson? The 2020 draft class shows promise, but that seems to be it. Jordyn Brooks and Damien Lewis have been inconsistent at best. Darell Taylor has only played half a season. Freddie Swain and Alton Robinson have shown promise but nothing farther than that. The rest of the class has been unforgettable. It is too early to pass the final judgment on much of the 2020 draft class and certainly too early to judge the 2021 class. However, even if we exclude those drafts, we end up with a “hit rate” of 2/20. That number is much too low for a competitive franchise. I challenge you to find a team that has had that little success drafting. These results are simply unacceptable and should be a fireable offense on their own. However, there have been even more transgressions.
John Schneider on draft day
Admittedly, in most years, the Seahawks have had little cap space to play with since their reset. However, the 2019-2020 offseason saw the Seahawks spend 60 million dollars and not make any real progress. The Seahawks won one more game in the regular season with a slightly easier schedule and got bounced in the first round of the playoffs. That 60 million dollars went to players like Bruce Irvin and Greg Olsen. Olsen, Irvin, and Hollister made up around 20 million dollars in cap space, enough to sign the big-name pass rusher the Seahawks desperately needed. Yet the Seahawks squandered the opportunity by signing a bunch of average players. If you want more in-depth information regarding that botched offseason, here is a link to a great article on it – http://seahawksdraftblog.com/an-alternative-look-at-what-seattles-off-season-couldve-been
All these reasons show why Carroll and Schneider have been bad off the field. On the field, the Seahawks have been even worse. Confusing time-out choices, poor play in the first half, an unimaginative offense, and conservative play-calling have held the Seahawks back. Sometimes, the entire Seahawks game plan feels like it is either a run up the middle with Carson (when he is healthy) or a deep pass by Russell Wilson. Often, it feels like we fans sitting on the couch can figure out the play call. On defense, the situation is even worse. Last year, it was fairly obvious what the Seahawks were doing. If Jamal Adams was lined up to one side, close to the Line of Scrimmage, it was a blitz with man coverage. If not, it was a soft zone coverage. If fans can predict the play before the ball is snapped, NFL coaches certainly can.
Pete Carroll wants to play like he still has the “Legion Of Boom” and frequently talks about wanting to be the bully. Yet right now, the Seahawks are a finesse team that lives and dies by the play of their star QB. The Seahawks have invested heavily in the safety position with the trades for Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs plus the top 50 draft pick spent on Marquise Blair. The Linebacker position has also been a perplexing spot of investment with the money spent on Bobby Wagner and KJ Wright plus the draft picks of Jordyn Brooks and Cody Barton. The Seahawks continue to invest in these non-premium positions instead of the offensive line, defensive line, and cornerback. This old-school philosophy does not work in the modern NFL, as shown by the Jamal Adams trade.
The Jamal Adams trade continues to get worse and worse every Sunday for the Seahawks. Even at the time of the trade, people were worried that the price was too high. Yet some justified it as a “win-now” move by trading for an elite player. Getting Jadeveon Clowney back and adding Jamal Adams would have made headlines. However, the Seahawks failed to address their pass rush issues. To make up for those issues, the Seahawks turned Jamal Adams into a blitz specialist. Through the first 5 games of 2020, the Seahawks either got home on a Jamal Adams blitz or were torched downfield for a huge gain. All this blitzing caused the defense to be on a record-setting pace in all the wrong ways. Then, Carlos Dunlap arrived and the Seahawks’ defense improved slightly. Still, even with a better pass rush in front of him, Jamal Adams frequently struggled in coverage. Adams ended up ranking 53rd for safeties in the NFL, certainly not the elite player Seattle was hoping for when they traded for him. This year, Adams is blitzing less and still has significant coverage issues, as evidenced by his 64.2 PFF grade. There is no way the Seahawks would have traded 2 firsts – one which may end up being a top 10 pick- a 3rd rounder, and Bradley McDougald if they knew they were getting the box safety, oft-injured, “Blitz Boy” Jamal Adams. They seemingly traded for the wrong Jamal Adams.
Jamal Adams missing an easy interception
Last offseason, Russell Wilson said enough was enough. Wilson subtly hinted at leaving by saying, “I don’t want to be traded, but if I am traded, please send me to one of these 4 teams”. To those who deny the severity of this report, think about this. Imagine if someone said, “I am perfectly happy with my spouse. However, if I were to get a divorce, I would love to be with these 4 people.” This report by Mark Rodgers was simply a way of getting a trade request out without calling it a trade request. The Seahawks tried to make Wilson happy by trading for a player about to be cut, Gabe Jackson. Yet poor drafting and cap mismanagement from previous years prevented the Seahawks from going all out to make him happy.
Russell Wilson stares sadly at the field as he watches Tom Brady win his 7th ring.
Now the Seahawks sit at 3-6, with massive questions staring at them. Is Russell Willson going to leave? Does Pete Carroll have a future here? Does John Schneider? The Seahawks now have two options. Stick with the 70-year-old head coach who seems stuck in his ways or side with the best player this franchise has ever seen. To me, the choice is clear. Russell Wilson, although in a bit of a funk recently, is the way to move forward. Hiring an offensive-minded head coach like Brian Daboll or Joe Brady and pairing them with Russell Wilson would be a sight to see. Getting a new General Manager who is a better talent evaluator and more frugal with cap space is the way forward. Shifting resources from linebacker and safety to offensive line and defensive line is the modern way. If The Seahawks could do all of these things, the Super Bowl would not be far away. The Seahawks could take notes from the Packers on this front. The Packers went from having 6-win seasons under Mike McCarthy to back-to-back NFC Championship games under Matt LaFleur. If Seattle can find their own Matt LaFleur, this ship can turn around real quick.
In the end, Pete Carroll is a great head coach who has revolutionized the game with his “Cover 3” defense. Carroll has been a great motivator and has led Seattle to its only Super Bowl win. However, it is time for him to hang it up as the game has passed him by. He is no longer the right man for the job and needs to be replaced by someone with fresh ideas. Seeing Wilson with a young, innovative offensive mind would be so much more fun than watching “Peteball” without Russ. Overall, I want what is best for the team, and getting rid of the man at the top is the way forward.
Once again, I want to thank you all for letting me post about some sports stuff. I felt like I really needed to get this one off my chest. Let me know your opinions on the piece in the comments below. Tune in next time on Pranay’s Seattle Departures as I talk about my motherland and second home, India.
Welcome back to the third and final post of my Croatia series. Today, we are going to talk about my trip to Zagreb, Croatia’s capital. Zagreb was a rather intriguing place to visit and I learned a lot from my time there. I got to experience things that I would never see back home in the States. So welcome aboard and let’s head to Zagreb😊
Zagreb was such an amazing place to visit. From the beautiful architecture to the people there, everything was picture-perfect. However, the architecture that caught my eye was the St. Mark’s Church. The church looked like a medieval palace. You could almost visualize the sound of kings yelling at their advisors, trying to figure out who to attack next😝 The church’s roof looked amazing and so different from the other Churches I had seen in other parts of Europe. The Zagreb coat of arms (the white castle with the red background) is on the roof. Also on the roof is the symbol of the Triune Kingdom of Croatia, Slavonia, and Dalmatia. The Triune Kingdom was a separate political nation within the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The Kingdom was legally defined as separated from the Austro-Hungarian Empire. However, in reality, The Triune Kingdom held little political power. Overall, seeing those beautifully laid designs on the roof of the building was extraordinary.
The architecture wasn’t the only cool thing Zagreb had to offer. The atmosphere of the place was super cool and laid back. People were out and about enjoying life with friends and loved ones. It was so great to be in that kind of atmosphere. One of the coolest things that we saw was this live puppet show happening in a pretty cobbled street. The little kids had gathered around for the show while the parents stood behind them as they watched in fascination. It was so intriguing to see a puppet show. My parents told me how they too had watched puppet shows when they were kids back in India. That was definitely a highlight of my trip. After watching the puppet show we took a cute little funicular down to the street below. My sister and I had not been on a funicular before so we were thrilled. It was so cool and intriguing. Zagreb Funicular is the shortest and the oldest funicular in the world and the first means of public transportation in Zagreb. It dates back to the 1890s and it was such a fun ride down😊
Overall, my time in Zagreb and Croatia, in general, was something I will never forget. I feel like this is the trip where I began to see traveling the way I see it now. I see it as an opportunity to get to know and experience other cultures, as a way to relax from all the stress of daily life. A way to experience life with a wider lens. Gone are the days where I groan as I get up early in the morning to take a flight away from my friends. Now, that boredom is replaced with excitement. I hope that this Croatia inspires you to pack your bags too😊 Thank you all for reading this post. See you all next time on Pranay’s Seattle Departures.
Welcome back to the second post of my Croatia series. Today we will be taking a look at Dubrovnik. Now, I know all of you Game of Thrones fans are super excited about this post because Dubrovnik was a filming location for the show. However, I have not watched the show. I went to Dubrovnik for its unparalleled beauty, not Game of Thrones. Hopefully, that does not disappoint anyone :). Anyway, here are my thoughts about one of my favorite places I have ever been to, Dubrovnik.
Dubrovnik is unlike any city I have ever seen before. It looked almost too picture-perfect. The tall walls that surrounded the inner red-roofed houses make for a breathtaking sight. Hearing the waves crash on the beaches below while seeing the water glisten in the sunlight was an unforgettable experience. It all looked simply magical.
The best way to get a view of the city is by taking a long walk around the walls of Dubrovnik. From the stunning sea view to the jaw-dropping architecture of the walled city, there is no better way to see Dubrovnik than this. While the views from the walk along the city walls were great, the not-so-fun part was doing it in 90-degree weather 🙂 It was scorching hot. However, despite the mountains of sweat one me, that view was worth every drop.
The journey back from Dubrovnik to our hotel was the most thrilling part of the trip. We got to take a little boat back from Dubrovnik to our hotel. The boat looked tame from the outside, so I was not expecting what came next. As we took off from shore, I realized what we were in for. It was like a roller coaster. The front end of the boat was almost pointing straight up as we zoomed along the water at high speeds. My mom was terrified that my sister and I would fall out of the boat. However, excitement took over the fear for us as we just laughed and had a good time, enjoying the thrill of it all. I would have never guessed that the dinky little boat we were going to take back home would be a highlight of my trip.
One of the best parts about the trip to Dubrovnik was a viewpoint on this massive hill. It was certainly a treacherous journey to get up that hill. It was only a 1-way road going up there! Many times a car seemed to appear out of thin air, and we had to swerve past it. However, all of the stress of the drive getting up there was worth it. We could see all of Dubrovnik from that viewpoint. We saw the great wall surrounding the city, more red-roofed houses, and the golden sky all at once. As I saw the sun slowly begin to dip below the horizon, shining light on that beautiful city and us all, I was reminded of how fortunate I am. Simply being alive and experiencing this view was a gift. That golden hour is one that I will never forget.
Dubrovnik was probably the highlight of my trip to Croatia. Between the exhilarating boat ride and the alluring views, Dubrovnik is one of my favorite places ever. I hope that you all reading this will add Dubrovnik to your bucket list. It’s a magical place. See you next time at Pranay’s Seattle Departures. I will be diving into my experience in Zagreb and the many cool things I saw there. Bye for now!
You may have heard about Croatia because of its soccer team and its stunning coastline. The Croatian team was the dark-horse team that reached the finals of the 2018 World Cup, surprising everyone. While they eventually lost to France in the final 4-2, it was still an inspiring run. Well, right after the World Cup ended, I traveled to Croatia. Here is my story about my wonderful trip to Split, Croatia.
When I traveled to Split, it was extra special for me. We got there on my 13th birthday. While I must admit, I was not very excited at first to celebrate my birthday in a foreign country, away from all my friends. However, that birthday I spent in Split, Croatia, is one I will remember for the rest of my life.
The best part of my 13th birthday was swimming with a view of the sunset. The sky was completely orange. The sound of waves crashing on the beach filled my ears. It was so relaxing just being in the moment with my family, enjoying the view as we all swam around the infinity pool. I remember having races with my family to see if I was faster. My moment of glory was when I beat my Dad 😆. My Dad is a good swimmer. My mom is the sneaky one. While she can swim, she is much slower than us. She literally walked in the water and pretended she was swimming😝. I remember laughing with my little sister. The memories of all of us fooling around in the pool during that golden hour in Split is something I will never forget.
The rest of our days there were spent walking around the town of Split. Walking around Split reminded me of Italy, one of my favorite travel spots. The laid-back, casual, and slow-paced lifestyle in Split was similar to the Italian lifestyle. However, one thing that surprised me about Croatia and Split, in particular, was how well they spoke English. Even though Croatia was isolated from the rest of the world for so long, they spoke excellent English. Even better English than in some other Western European countries like Italy and France. It certainly was an eye-opener!
The people in Split were extremely friendly to us. One of the most welcoming people we met was our Uber driver. He was so nice that we made sure that we specifically got him as our Uber driver multiple times! While we were driving with him, he told us about his parents. You see, he said that his father was Croatian while his mother was Serbian. That surprised me at first because Serbs and Croats have had an iffy relationship, to put it lightly, since the breakup of Yugoslavia. However, it was nice to hear that despite their differences, there was more than just animosity between the two nations. This Uber driver also told us that he wanted to become a dentist. He told us that there were not many good dentistry schools in Croatia. To achieve his dreams, he decided to work as an Uber driver to go to a college in America. Overall, he was very friendly. It was fun and enlightening to have a conversation with him. I will never forget our chats and how comfortable he made us feel. Getting to know the locals is the best part about visiting a foreign country.
My time in Split was one of the highlights of my trip to Croatia. To commemorate my experience in Split and my love for sports, I now have two Luka Modrić jerseys which I wear very often. I do not think I will ever forget my time in Croatia. Catch you next time on Pranay’s Seattle Departures. I will be going into more detail about my Croatia trip and talk about my time in Dubrovnik. See you all soon.
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