The one thing you have to expect when you make any outdoor plans in Ireland is, of course, rain. It’s definitely a plan for the worst, hope for the best scenario—if you go in thinking, even in the back of your head, that you might be lucky, you will almost inevitably be disappointed. Whereas, if you just assume that it’ll probably rain the whole time you are wherever you’re going, you may occasionally have a pleasant surprise. Over the weekend, Steve and I went up to Doolin, in Co. Clare, to look at a wedding venue (!). We were hesitant to book a place to stay overnight as we didn’t want to spend an extra day if there was going to be nothing but rain, but by last Wednesday when the forecast was still clear, we decided to chance it, and we definitely made the right decision.
When I was young, living in the same house in the same town in the same state in the same country for the first 18 years of my life, I used to think that I could live there for my whole life. I thought visiting relatives a five hour drive away or— wow—relatives who lived so far I had to take a plane ride to reach them were unbelievably distant. Funny how things change. I always knew I would travel, but never how much.
After living in three countries outside my country of birth over the past five years, moving to a different state is a much more minor change. There were no visas involved, for one. But moving from the East coast to the West is practically a different country both in distance and culture, and the difference this time is I didn’t have school or a plan waiting for me. I figured it out, as I usually do.
There have been a lot of unexpected challenges: the aforementioned lack of plan (i.e. job) being a main one, navigating a long distance relationship being another (while the relationship is the best thing in my life, the long distance I could do without), but those same challenges seem to bring the most rewards.
I don’t want to turn this into a cheesy naval-gazing reflective post so I’m going to stop there, but since I’ve wanted to live in Seattle since I first visited here over a decade ago (on an orchestra trip in high school, also the reason I first got a passport for the part of the trip that was to Vancouver, a city I now visit at least once a month), I think that the fact I’ve been living here for six months this week is worth mentioning.
Anyway, photos:
The view from Kerry Park. The hill was steep, but the view is worth it. When I first moved to Seattle I walked everywhere to get my bearings.
Almost immediately after arriving in Seattle I headed up to Vancouver where Steve and I went to a USWNT match against Nigeria. Abby Wambach scored the winning goal.
My first hike in Washington. Unfortunately it’s hard to reach a lot of the best trails without a car, but I’m trying.
Back to Canada, this time to Victoria and Tofino for whale watching and camping
Finally Steve came to see me in Seattle where we saw this amazing sunset over Lake Union walking home from Capitol Hill.
I’m not abandoning the Philadelphia Union just because I left Philly, but I’m definitely impressed by the Sounders fans’ enthusiasm.
We went camping in Olympic National Park for Labor Day weekend, and drove to some amazing beaches on the coast.
Thanksgiving was spent at a friend’s family’s house on Vashon Island. The view of Mt. Rainier was so clear.
