My last post from Seattle

Our 2 year adventure has come to an end and it is now time to say goodbye to the west coast. Thank you Seattle for your beautiful surroundings, wonderful people, delicious food, and interesting sense of fashion. You have been a wonderful home and a great place for new experiences. Joe and I will definitely look back on our time out here as an experience that we will never forget. (In my head I'm already planning a trip to come visit as we have had lots of offers of where we can stay:-) This city has taught us that a day that starts out bleary could turn into a beautiful day, to never look twice at a man dressed as a woman, a woman dressed as a man, or either gender dressed in a variety of costumes or sporting an interesting hair color, and to love the great outdoors and to take advantage of all that nature has to offer. I don't think Seattle was able to teach me patience when sitting in traffic but it has taught me to offer every pedestrian the right of way and to smile and nod when I pass someone on the street. I think Joe and I both learned how to enjoy this time with each other while also discovering more about ourselves as individuals and what we have to look forward to with our move back across the country.
With the help of some strong women (Thank you Rachel, Sara, and Sydney!) our belongings that have inhabited our 800 square foot apartment are now packed into a 16 ft by 8 ft POD ready to make the trip to Pennsylvania. Our trip begins on Saturday with arrival expected in Pittsburgh the following Friday. Fingers crossed for safe and enjoyable travels. I'll post again once we're settled and begin phase number 2 on the east coast.
After 100 posts.........It's time to say goodbye to the east coast girl trying west coast living and hello to the east coast girl whose coming home!

Living Amongst Moving Clutter

Oh how I wish there was such a thing as a packing fairy! Maybe she could come and make sense of our "moving clutter" as we now begin our moving countdown- 6 days! We have packed boxes up to the ceiling, empty boxes ready to be filled, and packing tape, scissors, and markers have spread themselves across our small living space. It's always amazing to me when preparing for a move (something I've done on average every 2 years since 2003) how much stuff one (and two) people can accumulate! I have found that I have less sentimental value towards things that I may have to carry down stairs, into an elevator, and then arranging in a moving vehicle of choice. Don't get me wrong- I've still held on to those personal items that have been with me through the years but do I really need the 6 towel sets for the kitchen, the books I know I will never read again, or the pair of jeans that have been with me since college and I just can't seem to part with? The answer is No!
We've had to jump through hurdles to get a permit to park a POD on the street in front of our apartment. From applying for a permit, for waiting for permission, to paying a hefty fee (Yikes!), to renting No Parking signs, the amount of time and energy waiting for the city of Seattle to in a sense give us permission to move has been exhausting! I've been so frazzled with our long (and neverending) list of things to do that it is affecting my sleep. A few nights ago I was wide awake for a few hours pacing in our living room. I was treated to a beautiful view of Mt. Rainier at 4:30 in the morning.
Nala has been trying her best to cope with the chaos. And when I say "cope" I mean that she goes and sleeps in the bathroom sink or jumps in our suitcase or boxes as we're trying to pack them. As I watched her sleep so peacefully in the sink I couldn't help but wonder if the same technique could work for humans? Of course that would mean taking a nap in the bathtub but if that could give me a few moments of piece of mind I might be willing to give it a try!
In addition to packing, we also have Joe's sister Sara and her friend Rachel visiting us for the week. Luckily they can look past our chaos. Yesterday we visited the Farmer's Market in the neighborhood of Ballard. Right now it is ranked the 3rd largest Farmer's Market in the country and it certainly didn't disappoint! So many wonderful (and local) fruits and vegetables and flowers and jewelry. I felt a little wave of sadness as we got to the end- we've become so accustomed to farmer's markets all over the area. I also felt a little sad as we walked around Capital Hill and took in the view of the Space Needle from the "Black Hole Sun" in Volunteer Park. Sites and sounds and smells that have become so second nature that I don't even pay attention anymore. Well I am certainly paying attention this week! Trying to put into long term memory all that we love about Seattle.
Lots more packing to get done, goodbyes to be said, and our trip route to plan out. We are thinking of driving back on a different route than the one we did two years ago. This one would take us through Oregon, Nevade, Utah, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. We were joking about how many other people can say that their cat has been through 17 states? If only Nala knew!

Moving To A New Zip Code

This east coast girl trying west coast living will soon find herself back on the east coast- Pittsburgh to be exact. Joe and I started having discussions about the possibility of moving back to PA back in the Spring. Of course I had to make a "plan" of our time line, where to look for jobs, and how the summer was going to pan out for us. So far nothing has been going as planned and those of you that know me know that I don't handle "nonplans" very well. I had hoped to have a job by the end of the school year so that I could say my goodbyes in person to the school staff and my kids. Although I had an initial phone interview with Children's Hospital right before Memorial Day weekend, I didn't hear back from them for three weeks. Fast forward to the last week of school and I get an e-mail asking if I'd be available for a teleconference interview. I wasn't sure what teleconference was going to entail at first but after another week and a half I found out that I would be interviewing with the head of the department and another Speech Therapist via Skype. How technology advanced we have come to be able to interview across the country using the computer and a webcam. I will admit to going into frantic study mode and had flashbacks of grad school sitting in a coffee shop with my books. There are a few areas that I'm out of touch with after working in the school setting for 5 years and was fearful that I would be bombarded with questions regarding these less familiar topics. During my study time I came across the name of the person who was interviewing me quoted in one of the books. He's done a lot of research in the field and has published articles regarding his areas of interest. The intimidation factor went way up for me at this point!
I felt really good after the interview- they were both so nice and I felt very at ease despite the distance and technology between us. That afternoon I was contact by human resources to let me know that I was their top candidate and would now begin the phase of background and reference checking. This was done through private agencies and I was told to expect it to at least take 6 days. Adding in the 4th of July weekend, 6 days had turned into 8. By this point I'm stressed and wondering what the outcome will be. We gave up our apartment since our lease is up at the end of the month, but we still weren't sure if we were moving cross country or just down the street. Throughout the waiting period I did lots of list making, pacing, climbing a mountain (7 miles up windy and rocky switch backs can do a lot to take your mind off of things), freaking out, and buying shoes. Yes I couldn't help myself when I went to buy bubble wrap at Target and a big SALE sign in the window of DSW caught my eye. I went in just to "look" but fell in love with a pair of sandals. I decided to buy them as a celebratory "yay I got the job" a few days premature. And if I didn't get the job I was going to use them as a "feel better" present to myself. I'm glad they were able to fall into their first purpose.
The long awaited phone call and offer came on Friday. Yay! I've been feeling such a mix of emotions- nerves on starting a new job, excitement, and some sadness for leaving the city that we have fallen in love with. We have no regrets from the past two years and have gained some wonderful friends and new experiences to add to our list of adventures and memories. But we are at the point (well I'm at the point and Joe is getting there :-) where we want to feel a bit more settled and know that we will be staying in one place longer than the date signed on a lease. We weren't ready to make this commitment two years ago but time and maturity and desire for new things were a driving force in our decision. Of course the proximity to family and friends and familiar surroundings are huge icings on the cake and we couldn't be happier with our decision. Thank you all for taking this journey with us over the past two years and for being my weekly "audience" following this blog. I'll continue with a few more entries of our moving experiences but then may take a little writing hiatus- I haven't quite decided yet what to do.
In the mean time, we are surrounded by boxes, packing tape, and bubble wrap with our possessions spread out in our 800 square foot apartment waiting to find their way into boxes. Poor Nala isn't quite sure what to make of everything but has found comfort in the open boxes as resting places for her afternoon and evening naps. We will have the company from two years ago as Joe's sisters once again are joining us on our trip. We are leaving Seattle on July 31st and are giving ourselves about a week to make it across the country. We will be covering a lot of the same territory as before and feel less inclined to stop and see the sights. I start my new job on August 16th. Changes are ahead once again.......Western Pennsylvania here we come. Time to bring out the black and gold!

Survival of the hottest

Oh the heat- how you are my enemy! It's been a HOT week out here and it's been a struggle to find the coolest areas to pass the time. I've found myself venturing to the grocery store and the mall just to take advantage of the air conditioning as these are some of the few selected places with air. On Thursday we actually had a blackout and lost power for a while. I'm wondering if too many fans trying to go at the same time could have been the culprit? Poor Nala has also been struggling to stay cool- lounging in the sinks and on the tile floor. She has been looking at me with a look that says "please make it cooler." Or maybe that is just my interpretation of the look on her cute little face.
Thursday was Joe's birthday. We spent the afternoon at Madison Park Beach along Lake Washington. The sun was out in full force and it seemed that many people had the same idea that we had as the place was really crowded. We made it about 5 minutes in the sun before we braved the chilly temperatures of the water just to cool off. We then spent the rest of the time laying out in the shade and it was quite comfortable. Later we enjoyed a delicious sushi dinner with Charlie (his birthday too) down in the International District.
Saturday night I was fortunate enough to get an invite to another Seattle Living Room Show-live music in someone's living room. The band that I saw was called the Sweet Remains and I have been playing them on my IPod for about a year so I was so excited to finally see them live. They are able to create this amazing 3 part harmony that I could listen to for hours. For two hours I forgot about the heat and just listened to the music. Such a great night!
We escaped from the city on Sunday to visit Mt. Rainier. We went to a different lookout point from where we visited last year. The sun came out on our drive and by the time we parked the car we were surrounded by lots of people, sun, and snowy white. We attempted to hike up part of the glacier in the snow. It was like 2 steps up and 1/2 a step sliding back. We got to take in some amazing views while walking in the sun with our short sleeved shirts. I was really entertained watching all the different groups of people from the prepared (hiking boots, treking poles, hiking pants) to the unprepared- (designer purses, heeled boots, puma sneakers). Let's just say there was lots of slipping and sliding as attempts were made to go up and down the mountain. It was such a great feeling standing in the middle of the mountain in the snow, breathing in the fresh air and taking in the view.

Holiday Weekend

Hope everyone had an enjoyable holiday weekend! The tourists are in full force here in Seattle. I got first glimpse of them coming off the huge cruise boat docked on the Puget Sound below the Pike's Place Market on Saturday. I've lived here long enough to know where and what to avoid with the crowds. The Market area being #1. Saturday was a beautiful day with sunshine in the afternoon. I decided to venture to one of the attractions I haven't visited yet. It's somewhat off the beaten path and wasn't too crowded. Olympic Sculpture Park sits in the neighborhood of Belltown just north of the main downtown area. It's a beautiful green area with an interesting looking sculpture and views of the Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains. People were out and about enjoying picnic lunches and taking in the beautiful views. I couldn't help but feel a sense of serenity breathing in the fresh air and looking out over the water.
Unfortunately the sunny weather did not follow us into the 4th. Sunday was very overcast and brought rain in the afternoon. I didn't let that deter me from my initial plans. A friend of a friend rented a boat to take out on Lake Union for the afternoon. We enjoyed snacks and drinks while enjoying the views of the skyline, the Space Needle, Gas Works Park, the boat house from "Sleepless in Seattle," and the bridges lifting for the much bigger boats to go underneath. Gas Works Park is the central area where people camp out for the big fireworks display later in the evening. Close to 50,000 people congregated there by nightfall. They bring in a big blow up of the Statue of Liberty that sits on the focal point in the middle of the hill of the park. Later at night we went over to Charlie's condo to watch the fireworks. The fireworks display was a group effort this year. The cost for the show is about 500,000 dollars and WAMU bank used to be the sponsor before they went under last year. The businesses of the Seattle came together to raise the money and the show didn't disappoint. It also didn't hurt that we were standing on the roof of an 18 story highrise to take in the view.
Today is another day of dreary but perfect for snuggling on the couch with hot chocolate and my favorite girlie movies. Hot chocolate in July. Is summer ever going to officially make its presence in Seattle??????