The Reason

My husband, Ty, called me at work one day to excitedly tell me that his favorite band Opeth was playing in Seattle, Washington, as part of the metal Progressive Nation tour. Living in conservative central Montana metal acts, especially death metal ones, don't come near us often. As I said before, Opeth is Ty's favorite band, and has been for years. The opportunity to see them live defined this trip as, not just a vacation, but the culmination of a dream for him. Around the same time that we decided to go to Seattle, Ty started writing for the metal website metalunderground.com. They arranged for Ty to interview Opeth guitarist Fredrik Akesson, making the trip even more meaningful.

Though my brother, Matt, and I aren't really fans of heavy metal, we definitely wanted to come along for the experience. Besides, out of all the music my husband listens to Opeth has to be one of the bands that I enjoy more than most.

For me, the main draw to Seattle were all the museums, restaurants, shopping, and attractions. Also, being really passionate about eco-conservation, I couldn't wait to visit such a diverse, green-friendly city.