A good friend of mine is arriving in Seattle today to check out the area before her and her husband move here in May! Of course, this is incredibly exciting and makes us scream like little girls when we talk to each other. Yet, it has also made me look at this place that now feels like home and think about what all I learned, got used to, and/or fell in love with 1.5 years ago (and continue to do). The following are things both obvious and not that I have learned about Seattle and the Northwest. The things that make me smile or the things make me roll my eyes and say "THAT is so Seattle."
1) The forests look like a Twilight movie, there is water at every turn, and the mountains look like a postcard. The city provides the theater, opera, museums, and shopping. The forest/mountains offer the hiking and snow sports. The water provides the views, water sports, and seafood.
2) THE RAIN. While it comes with its share of seasonal affective disorders, I have found the months of dreariness gives the Seattleite a break from "sun guilt." In the summer I wake up already feeling guilty that I'm not doing something outside/hiking/farmer's marketing/throwing a frisbee to my invisible dog. It's exhausting to keep that guilt with you for months at a time! Thank goodness for the rain! Plus, it keeps the Emerald City green. We get to see green grass in the winter months!
3) Before I moved here I heard that from people that Seattleites never carry umbrellas. I got to Seattle and saw lots of umbrellas. What gives? Turns out Seattle is filled with transplants like Tom and I. Since I work at a hospital and meet lots of people, I have learned to phrase the question, "Are you from the area?" Very rarely do I get a "born and raised here" type of answer. So the answer is that the non-rain embracing transplants are the ones with the umbrellas. The Seattleites and those who realize the rain doesn't usually ruin the party just where jackets with hoods and, believe it or not, do not end up melting.
4) Traffic is slow and polite. Moving traffic (read: not congested or rush hour time) will go five or more mph under the speed limit regularly. You get in the left most lane and cruise by people like it's a Fast and Furious movie going the speed limit or five mph over. People do the "you go. no you go. no you go" at stop signs. People don't hit the gas and go when they are on an on-ramp. They wait for you to help them get into traffic. If you are a pedestrian and you are even thinking about crossing the street or glance to the other side of the road, they will stop.
5) Safety first is certainly a theme here. They have "take it to make it" orange flags at each side of some cross walks that you are supposed to take when you cross to make you visible to cars. Reflective clothing is not just for construction workers. People have full on reflective suits with reflective messenger bags. Runners, pedestrians, bikers, dogs. They are all reflective here. Also, helmets are everywhere. Of course on almost all bikers, but also I would say over 90% of people skiing/snowboarding on the mountain has on a helmet.
6) When you find those "born and raised here" people, they will say the word "bag" like "beg." Along with a couple other weird words, but bag is the one I always notice.
7) When meeting people out, think about what outfit you would normally wear. Then dress it down. Then go to REI and purchase some type of clothing item there. Then wear that out.
8) What chain fast food restaurants are to the Midwest, brewpubs/coffee/trendy bakeries/farmers markets/teriyaki places are to Seattle. They are everywhere!
9) For a landlocked raised girl, people commuting by ferries is such a crazy thing! We went on a ferry for the first time this fall and it was great...as a tourist who walked on to do a little Christmas shopping on Bainbridge Island. There are people that daily wait in a line in their cars, drive onto a ferry and park, walk upstairs in the ferry, take a seat, read the paper/drink coffee/snooze/whatever, go back down to their cars when the ferry docks, drive off the boat, and go to work. And don't forget having to keep the ferry schedule in mind. Crazy! I'm sure living on an island is worth it, but my goodness all that work!
10) The green-ness of the grass isn't where the green-ness of Seattle stops. Recycling is a serious business here. You not only recycle, you compost too. Restaurants have you compost on site and the city waste disposal includes composting. I have to say, they make it pretty easy, too. In most places they post exactly which food containing products can be recycled, composted, or trashed. The quest for less waste also led Seattle to outlaw plastic shopping bags last year! Either bring your own or pay for a paper bag within Seattle limits. Now THAT is so Seattle.
My friend is doing it. You should visit too! Go northWEST YOUNG PEOPLE (and young people at heart)!
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