Introduction
Welcome to the land of coffee, computers, art, brew pubs, marijuana, tattoos, facial hair, lakes, mountains, ferries and people who take them to work, and mayors whose primary concerns have been creating bicycle lanes and tent cities (never mind the rain). Welcome to Seattle and the Northwest.
All of that is Seattle and the Northwest, and, that is what makes it so interesting. There is so much, however, that I struggled with how to share “my Northwest,” whether it be travels or sites or just interesting facts and stories.
The Northwest is where I grew up, in the suburbs of Seattle, specifically Kent and Auburn. Then I lived in Seattle (University District and Wallingford) until graduating from the University of Washington. I worked in Renton at Boeing one summer, in downtown Seattle and in Fife, a suburb of Tacoma, while attending college. Then I lived on Queen Anne hill while teaching in Seattle. But I also lived in Ketchikan, Alaska, for six months and then in eastern Washington and western Idaho.
After moving away I still came back every year as my family is still here. Then, much later, my husband Steve and I owned a condo in West Seattle for three years, from which we had the most fabulous downtown skyline view of Seattle. Now we spend a month or so in the area each summer. However, it is after I moved away and came back that I really came to appreciate the beauty and wonders of the Northwest. I have also come to admit that there seems to be a fair amount of eccentricity that contributes to the Northwest vibe, which may well help explain the creativity that permeates the area.
So, rather than trying to create “rhyme and reason” to my Northwest posts, I will just label them with the topic being discussed. Join me for my upcoming posts.
