I leave Seattle tomorrow. In many ways I'm sad; in many ways I'm excited to return to a new life in Baltimore. We went out to dinner on our last night here as a family. We went to Poppy in Capital Hill, which specializes in local ingredients; of course it was amazing. We were talking to the host at the restaurant, a long-time Seattleite. He was honest about the weather and said that even in the summer (yes the summer that everyone promised would make up for the bad weather the rest of the year) the weather is always worse than you'd hope for. But, tonight it was beautiful, so we really enjoyed everything about our last evening out.
I have many thoughts about our sabbatical here. It was really a very good experience, and below are some final thoughts and memories that I have and hope to keep.
- The playgrounds are awesome. And, the communities seem to really cherish them.
- My favorite park was Carkeek, where I could see the Olympic mountains, bald eagles, and trains snaking around the cliffs.
- I only got through a third of The Grapes of Wrath. I really will finish the book someday.
- On most days, Genna has turned into my dream daughter. She definitely still has her challenging moments, but I really enjoy spending time with her. She's turning into a wonderful companion. I think that her preschool has had a lot to do with it.
- I can't imagine a better preschool than Ladybug Montessori.
- I've had a ton of fun taking cooking classes and learning how to become a better cook.
- Seattle has the most amazing restaurants. I don't think there is another city in the US with a higher good restaurant per capita number. Likewise, the number of foodies per capita is equally high.
- I love how green the Seattleites are.
- Noah's barista skills have really improved; this makes me very happy.
- I always felt very safe in Seattle; crime never seemed to be much of an issue.
- I'll miss having everything I need within walking distance.
- I'll miss the community centers; I will not miss the libraries.
- I'll miss how pedestrian-friendly the city is.
- I will appreciate every minute of sunshine from now on.
- I've learned to live with few possessions and the restrictions on buying things. I've become less attached to belongings, and it's been good.
- I've gained 10 pounds - not bad considering how much I've over-indulged for nine months.
- Jonah has gone through his terrible twos. The worst of these are over, but he still has his moments. I'm looking forward to things only getting easier with him.
- Seattle is a wonderful city and I'd probably move her permanently in an instant - except for one thing - I really think that I should be able to wear shorts in July - every day!
- Seattle Gymnastics Academy is awesome; we will really miss it.
- I hope to return to Seattle.
Noah lost my camera charger, so with a dead battery, I can't upload my photos today. I'll add photos to this post after my camera is charged, but in the meantime, below are some of my favorite photos of the past nine months.
Awww... I hope you can print this blog and keep it for future reading! Congrats on a well done 9 months away from home. And I can't wait to try that new cooking of yours! Hopefully you'll teach me some of it! And I look forward to you taking more cooking classes with me in Baltimore!! See you soon!
ReplyDeleteLove, Zoe