Monday, June 9, 2008

Home Sweet Home

It was nothing short of a perfect two weeks that I just spent in Seattle.

The weather (at least, on average..) was good, the Mariners won the night I went to the game (miracle), I got to get my sushi and red meat fix (neither of which are that great here-at least at a price point I can afford!), time spent with Simon was fantastic-and he really enjoyed himself, and most importantly, I got to catch up with everyone that I've been missing the past three months!

It was a whirlwind trip, full of lots of nights out, eating and drinking-and funny observations....

-Oddly, I only had one home cooked meal (thanks, Eric & Kristi! you made my one meal to be FANTASTIC!). I actually thought I'd cook a bit while staying at Carrie's. I don't think the rice & canned tuna I had my first night on arrival counts...
-You know you've been in the UK too long when 'pop to the loo' makes it into your every day vernacular-even when you're not in the UK! I think my hair dresser is still scratching her head over what, exactly I meant when I said this.
-It's weird staying in a hotel in a town in which you own property. Between that and staying at Carrie's, I never actually went to my condo. So, I ultimately felt like a visitor who really knows their way around town-versus a Seattlite who was at home. Odd.
-I have too many shoes. I (only...) bought 3 pairs of shoes when in town. But, when added to my collection in London, I realize just how many I have. Maybe too many. Maybe...
-Hit and runs suck. Especially when you're the 'hittee.' Not that being the 'runner' would be any better...
-Being on a boat on Lake Union when the weather is good? There's really no better way to spend the day.
-And to that, when the weather is good in Seattle, there's no more perfect place I'd rather be.
-In an effort to consume as much good coffee as possible while in Seattle, I think I actually overdosed. I had one cup today-and could barely finish it!
-I think I barely walked more than 3-4 blocks on any given day in Seattle. A typical day in London is more like 3-4 miles.
-Though the London diet is a smashing success (to the comment about eating and drinking...), it's a good thing I'm back. I think I gained back almost every pound I've lost over the past 3 months during the two weeks in Seattle. Sad.
-I much prefer converting from dollars to pounds when in the US than from pounds to dollars when in the UK!

And, as much as I loved being back and visiting with everyone, towards the last few days, there was a part of me that really started to miss London. Partially because of Simon. Partially because of not sleeping in my own bed. But, I think as I was walking to dinner last nite, I finally understood the real reason: the hub-ub of London is contagious: people on the streets walking with purpose, the sound of traffic-and the sight of the double decker busses, the smell of (in this case) amazing Mediterranean food wafting from the restaurants we were passing by, just the 'feel' of the city. Don't get me wrong: I miss Seattle. But, at least for the time being, there is a novelty to living in London that I'm just enjoying. I'm sure at some point in the future, the things I just mentioned above will actually become the things I curse about this city (rude people plowing over you on the sidewalk, diesel fumes chugging forth out of bus engines, stinky odors coming from restaurants...), but until that day comes, I'm simply going to enjoy every moment of living here-and look forward to continuing to be a visitor in Seattle!

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