When you first move to or visit a new place, experiencing it for the first time is a special feeling that can be awe-inspiring.

 Encountering new places. Trying unique foods. Connecting with complete strangers. Seeing new views. When you become a local, you can lose that almost childlike feeling.

I’ve lived in Seattle for several years now, so I have missed that feeling. I'm not alone. Thanks to the pandemic, not many people have been discovering Seattle; COVID put most travel and tourism on hold until this summer. Now tourists are back, enjoying Seattle’s vibrant attractions.

AAA predicts Seattle will be the second most popular domestic destination for July 4th, 2022. People are itching to explore, and I wanted to be there to capture it.


For the past two months, I explored some of Seattle’s sacred tourist sites littered with selfie sticks, scenic panoramas and lengthy lines. I captured visitors tasting their first Piroshky Piroshky, taking gravity-defying photos on the Space Needle, climbing the colossal Fremont Troll and discovering what makes Washington a special place to visit. 

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