Moving away from my family was a hard thing to do. From the time Tom got the Boeing internship after his first year of grad school, we knew moving across the country was a possibility. In fact, when I visited him that summer I looked at Seattle in a new light. I looked at it in a "this could be where I live and eveeeentually raise my kids" type of way. As I browsed Seattle in that way I saw multitudes of indoor/outdoor adventures, amazing restaurants, great career opportunities, but I didn't see family. That was the worst thing about moving here for both of us. We may not have seen our family very frequently during the college years, but we were always a drive away (for the most part).
My parents had never been to Washington before, so we had talked of them coming from the moment moving west became our reality. Thanksgiving was the decided upon week for visiting! This whole time we have been settling in I have thought about where I would take them, what I would show them, where we would eat, what type of cool dinner party I would have set up for them. I rode the bus to work with eyes peeled, I asked others about suggestions, I looked online, I downloaded Seattle travel apps. I did it all! Yet, I did a lot of thinking and not a lot of planning, because their visit came quickly and all I had were the basics...go to space needle, go to pike place market, go on tours (no exact plan), show them work. I wanted to do so much, but also didn't want to be a vacation slave driver either! We toured, it rained, we laughed, we cooked, we ate, we relaxed. It was amazing.
The first day was the most eventful. Tom and I picked everyone up from the airport. I hadn't driven farther than the park-and-ride and back (1.5 miles down the road) for a while, so I almost got in a wreck leaving the airport. I was all gitty with excitement and read an introduction of the city in a cheesy tour guide voice from my Seattle tourism app that made everyone groan. We walked up to the market and I decided that the gum wall would be the best first impression of Seattle, so we go there (questionable judgement). We then made our way into the market. We bought tea, brine for the Thanksgiving turkey, and cider spice for apple cider at Market Spice. We had mac and cheese from Beecher's Handmade Cheese and Russian piroshky from Piroshky Piroshky bakery. They peered into the first Starbucks, and we looked out at Puget sound. The Space Needle had to be seen (especially since it was to be one of the clearest days of their visit), so we spent some time admiring the view. I then dragged my captive audience to the Seattle Public Library so we could see the great architecture and the floor I had heard was all red. It was indeed all red from ceiling to floor! I showed them the hospital I work at, and then finally, begrudgingly let them rest at our apartment.
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| Gum wall! |
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| In front of the market! |
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| Free photo they took before we went up the Space Needle! |
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| Mom and Dad in the Space Needle |
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| At the Seattle Public Library |
The rest of the highlights of the week included:
- eating an excellent meal at Ivar's Salmon House with the twinkling Seattle lights in view from our seats overlooking Lake Union
- admiring the skyline from Kerry park
- taking the Underground Tour which gives a funny, entertaining lesson on Seattle history
- the fam eating raw oysters for the first time
- enduring more rain in a 6 day period than any of us ever have
- seeing the Puget Sound from nearby Mukilteo
- driving to the Snoqualmie Falls to admire the falls in pouring rain
- enjoying more tea than 6 people should ever drink in a one week period
- preparing/eating a wonderful Thanksgiving meal of roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, jalapeno cranberry sauce, stuffing, green bean casserole, pecan pie, and pumpkin pie
It didn't end up being my dreamed up perfect hostess type of visit (I didn't have snacks besides pretzels when they got here...hostess 101 fail!). I DID get to use items from our wedding that I had not gotten to break out yet. We DID use cloth napkins once. I DID stock the guest bathroom with 20+ rolls of toilet paper. We DID have the dining table in time so that Thanksgiving dinner did not have to be served on a card table. So not all was lost. We ended the Thanksgiving night/last night they were there decorating what was supposed to be a tree, but instead ended up being a fake garland over our fireplace (classy, I know) and listening to Christmas music.
When they left I was in a sad state. We probably won't get to go home for Christmas due to my work schedule, and as it stands I probably won't see them until May. It is exactly this that I hate about living here. Yet, there are always Skype sessions with them that will have to do! I'm sure there will be a couple during extended family parties that I will be able to look forward to as well. As for Tom's family, we get to see them on Skype frequently, and will see them several times next year for weddings! So, though low in frequency, we WILL see our families one way or the other despite the distance.
So, now that you know what you could look forward to if you visit (don't worry I will remember the snacks for you. fondue you say? ok!), use some of your Christmas money to head on over to the Evergreen State! I think my family will tell you that you may want to either wait until the rain is gone or bring a great rain jacket and a good sense of humor :) So, go northWEST YOUNG PEOPLE (and young people at heart)!
All family and friends are welcome washINgton!
I have to say Emily, you seem to be a great Seattle tour guide! You hit all of good spots- some of which I have never even been to! (Which I am ashamed to say as a native Seattlite.)
ReplyDeleteFor all your friends and family who want to visit, we usually have a week of AWESOME weather in February, and a few summer days in March! But other than that... it's pretty soggy until May :)