Adios, Seattle

Seattle has been a pretty awesome place to live (despite the incessant rain).  And truly, if there was more sunshine and my family lived closer, I wouldn’t mind sticking around.  But alas, we are nearing the end of our nomadic journey and preparing to leave this mysterious place.  So, without adding more fluff than necessary, these are the reasons why I think Washington is a pretty epic place:

1.) Mountains!  Really big ones that you can see for miles!

I’m going to miss this view of Mt. Rainier.

AND..

1.5.) Mountains means skiing!!  We lived about an hour away from 2 different ski resorts, so we were able enjoy plenty of winter fun to make up for lost time in previous winters in SC.

2.) The food here is pretty darn good.  Once you get into the city, there’s a plethora of options (and seafood!) that have no association with a food chain.  Win-win!

3.) Seattle is situated in the middle of the state.  It’s about 2 hours to Portland (also a foodie’s paradise), 3 hours to Vancouver, and an hour from ski slopes or from open ocean.  We were able to take several mini trips to see more of the area, and each one was better than the last!

4.) The scenery is absolutely gorgeous!  Granted, we went from dry desert in Texas to rainy mountains, but it is truly one of the most beautiful parts of the country.  The trees are so big and sturdy, the grass is green even in the winter, and the mountains keep rolling for miles.  What’s not to love?

5.) The rain.  I don’t love the rain, but I don’t hate it.  But I say the rain is a perk here, because it makes you appreciate the sunshine so much more!  On the few clear days that we had, I couldn’t help but finding a dry patch in the grass and lay down in the rays for hours.  It made me really thankful for the times when the clouds did part.

 watching the sunset

6.) The wildlife here is unbelievable!  Maybe I was so impressed because we don’t see animals like these in SC, but it was so cool to drive down the road and see some elk graze in a pasture or a bald eagle fly overhead.  Sure beats snakes and squirrels any day!

Hey big guy!

All this to say I’d do it again.  Seattle was indeed pretty darn cool.

Marching right along

March is always exciting to me, but this March has been much-anticipated!  We weren’t as adventurous as we had been in previous months, but Josh’s work schedule didn’t really allow for much play time.

My mamacita came to visit at the beginning of the month, which was so, so good for my heart.  (Mommy, yous da best!  I love you!)  I showed her around the area…and by that I mean we got lost in the woods one day (thanks, Google Maps for helping us find our way back!). 

Can’t believe she trusted me! 

But the scenery was nice.

I made sure she got her Pike’s Place experience, complete with seafood from Jack’s. 

Sitting in the sun at Alki Beach across from the city

Since my last seal picture was so-so, here’s a better one of another little fella!

We also went whale watching!  That has been on the top of my list since we got here.  Whale watching season technically starts in March, but it doesn’t really pick up until April or May.  So, womp-womp, we didn’t get to see any whales jump out of the water or do any tricks for us, but we did get to see plenty of other sea creatures, so it was all good.

Thankfully, it was a clear, sunny day!

Sea lions

Seals on a sandbar

In the 70’s, this island was used for hunting.  People would request an animal, the owners would bring it to the island, and for a lofty fee, you could spend the day hunting it down.  That quickly became illegal.  As a result, these poor deer are stuck on this island forever…but at least there’s plenty of grass!

I know it’s not real clear, but look at the top right-hand corner of the tree.  That white spot is a bald eagle.

Here’s another angle.  This time, look at the top middle part of the tree.  See the white spot?  Maybe?

Other than having a visitor, Josh and I fit in our usual ski trips and hikes.  That’s about it for March at this point, though.  We are leaving this place on Saturday and heading east.  So, technically our March adventures aren’t over, because we’re hopefully going to hit some national parks on the way back to SC.  We’ll see what fun moving stories we’ll have for you when we return.  The adventures never end!

Ain’t no mountain high enough

Unlike Texas, our time here seemed to drag.  I think it mostly had to do with my emotional state, but nonetheless, March took awhile to get here.  Despite it being a beautiful area with good food and kind people, I’m not sad to leave it like I was with Texas.  It could have been the weather or the fact that it was winter or the realization that I was very, very far from friends and family.  Or maybe it was all those reasons.  The point is, it’s been hard.

But….

Just because situations are hard doesn’t mean you can’t learn a thing or two.  Our Texas time was a period of growth and grace.  I think about Dallas and I smile, because it was such a fond memory for me.  Seattle was a different kind of adventure.  One where I reminded myself frequently that patience is a virtue.  Both experiences were good and rewarding, albeit vastly different.

I faced mental, physical, spiritual, and emotional challenges that I didn’t expect.  And now, I look back at this mountain of a journey and smile for a different reason.  Because even though I huffed and puffed my way up this hill, I still made it to the top.  I cried and complained, but I made it alive.

Dallas makes me smile with delight, and Seattle makes me grin with pride.  Both are very different experiences and very different places.  But both are very, very useful in changing me to be a little bit more complete.  Dallas taught me that I could do more than I thought.  Seattle proved that I could.

In a few short days I will wave farewell to Seattle as our little caravan makes its way to the opposite side of the country once again, knowing that this time was not wasted.  It was hard and good, challenging and encouraging.  I know that I will not be able to look at a mountain the same way again.  This place is full of them, towering over people like they were ants; but then once it’s climbed, it’s conquered (at least for that time).

So, I’ll miss this place, because even dark, wintery times add substance to your life.  And because sometimes the most beautiful things come from a place of pain.  I found a little scraggly tree in the woods that was starting to bud.  It reminded me that even small scraggly plants endure harsh winters.  And that I did too.

Also, I now sing this song at the top of my lungs: Beautiful Things by Gungor

A little February fun

Holy moly!  Is it March already?!  I feel like it was just a few weeks ago when I posted this wishing for March to come quickly, and here it is!

Pikes Place Market

I made this one bigger so you can see…a baby seal!  There’s a beach across from the city called Alki Beach where seals usually come up on land to rest.

Like January, our adventures during February did not disappoint!  Of course we squeezed in as much skiing as possible!  I met a man on the ski lift and got to talking (it was a long lift).  I told him that I was a beginner and still not completely comfortable with these things strapped to my feet.  He just so happened to be an instructor and asked if I would mind if he gave me some pointers.  Um, no!  Then he invited me to a free lesson with other people at various stages in their ability!  Holla!  So, now I know how to do it the right way and am actually excited to go down some blues (still staying away from the black diamonds, though).

winter wonderland

Other than skiing, Josh and I went on some adventures.  We found a little German town called Levenworth.  So, we headed on over for some snitzle and beer after spending an afternoon snowmobiling through a gorgeous mountain range!

so much fun!

It was such a beautiful day!

 

My hunky hubby :)

frozen lake

We really hate life here.

Snitzle time!

I must brag a bit, because I have some pretty fantastic friends.  This has been a tough year for me being without my friends and family for a good chunk of time.  So, two of my closest companions bought their plane tickets and came to see what RV life is like in the Pacific Northwest!  It was so good for my heart to have people I love tremendously take time off work to come see me.  Truly, it meant so much to have them visit.

Check out their blogs too! Sarah is my photographer friend and Anne is my foodie friend!

Twin Falls

Aren’t they great?  And pretty!

Last week, Josh and I ventured to the Oregon coast to Cannon Beach.  I kid you not, it was probably one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen.  Mountains+Ocean= near perfection.  We went on an incredible hike that left me speechless (and I am still kicking myself for not having a better camera to have captured the scenery better)!

He’s my favorite.

 

 

Where mountain meets beach…

We saw a pretty sunset on the way home, so naturally we had to pull over and take pictures.

And we’re here.  Only a few more weeks left of this nomadic adventure and we will be back in the south where sweet tea and fried chicken abound.  I can’t wait.  I really can’t.  In spite of my excitement for being reunited with the familiar, I find myself stopping to savor small things I have come to appreciate over the course of this journey.  It truly has changed me and I am grateful.

The city side of Seattle

The nature side of Seattle

It’s not over yet, though!  We still have a few solid weeks to pack in some more fun before we hit the road.  My mom is coming up this weekend (can’t wait for those mama hugs!), and we have one more mini-trip we’re wanting to take before we bid this territory adieu.  All-in-all, I must say that Josh was right about this one: what a great opportunity!