Real Girl Travels - Love for the Seahawks

    Hey everyone Chris here. I am here to wish you a happy NFL playoffs and also to introduce you to Alyssa. Alyssa and I met in Ireland and became friends over our common interests Travel, football and booze. She wrote a story for us and I am happy to share it with you.

    Alyssa grew up moving all over the United States and couldn't ever get the travel bug out of her. After a few years of having steady jobs, she discovered her passion was somewhere else and decided to follow it. Therefore, she sold all of her worldly possessions and set off to travel the world. She's currently on a 3-year journey with the goal of facing her fears, opening her mind to new things, and learning from the world.

     Alyssa has become more than just a traveler, she's become a writer, photographer, cinematographer, producer, travel planner, and cultural researcher. She hopes one day to channel her skills and utilize it to better help the travel world and the people in

When you have a designated goal set in your mind, you should always expect things might not go the way you think they should. Of course, returning right back where you started is a whole other encounter you’ll likely never expect.

You can check her out here at VAGABUNDUS.org

    For me, I left the beginning of January in 2013, setting off with expectations to travel around the world for three solid years. What I didn’t expect was to return home much earlier for a couple weeks to encounter my old life mixing with the new one I have set out creating for myself.

I carry Seattle hometown pride with me everywhere I go. I love talking about how astonishing my city’s accomplishments are. The biggest part of my Seattle pride is our Seattle Seahawks team. I’m proud to say I am part of their 12^th Man… well, woman.

For those of you who don’t know, eleven offensive players face eleven defensive players on the field for a football game. In Seattle, it’s our fans that complete the Seahawks presence on the field. We like to believe we give serious contribution to the wins the Seahawks earn. Regardless of that opinion’s actual truth, we show the team that we’re right there with them, doing all that we can, to contribute our love of the game and our team.

Traveling has never prevented me from watching a single Seahawks game. Whether it’s 7p.m. in Croatia or 6a.m. in England, I’ve managed to show my 12^th Woman support through and through. Every single game, I’m there cheering loudly, halfway around the world, often passionately screaming at my computer screen.

Wide receiver Percy Harvin started his career with the Minnesota Vikings. As a rookie player, instantly he had amazing potential as a dangerous offensive weapon competing against the best NFL players. Last season, while playing in Seattle against our mighty Seahawks, Harvin injured his ankle and was out for the remainder of the season.

Over the 2013 NFL off-season, the Seattle Seahawks acquired him from the Minnesota Vikings’ for a first round draft pick. This added the versatile wide receiver to the already potent Seahawk’s offense.

However, before the season started, Percy’s accumulative injuries once again overwhelmed him. Resulting him to be out for the first eleven weeks of the season after required surgery to his hip.

In week eleven of the 2013 season, Percy Harvin was returning to the field to play again. However, it was his new team facing his former team; the same team matchup, in the same city, for his season debut, as his first game since his 2012 season ending injury.

I related to that eerie feeling of familiarity. So much seemed the same, yet so much was clearly now different. This familiarity stemmed from the fact that I was coincidentally returning the very same week as Percy Harvin. As our old lives and new lives were melded, undeniably my own life felt it was paralleling his story.

Stepping into the CenturyLink Stadium sent the energy through my veins hearing the excited voices and shouts before kickoff. The crowds roared loudly shaking the concrete ground. The team is our heart, and we, the fans, are the blood that fuels its beat.

It was that moment I knew returning to the starting point of my global journey did not mean I was backtracking. It made me realize what I wanted and where I felt the happiest future potential resides. Travel is my new life, but as I move forward once again, I still will always hold respect for my roots.

The Seahawks dominated the Vikings during Harvin’s return to the field. I knew forward is the only true direction life must go, even if it meant crossing old tracks. Going back to my old life will never be possible. Therefore, I move forward with a smile on my face – old faces and past memories continually supporting my new life. Fighting for true happiness, I had to switch things up and once again pull away from my roots.

Saying that I know how this man feels seems exaggerated. However, knowing his story and sensing life’s tendency for full circles had me relating many aspects of his life to mine. Unmistakably I sensed nuances of the returns to familiar faces and places.

As I cheered loudly, pushing my Seahawks to another win, it was obvious both Percy Harvin and I have lots in store for our futures. It felt good to be back in the game ready to keep playing my heart out. Go Hawks!