This month is exciting as I embark on my fifth year in Seattle. It just seems like yesterday that I was giving notice and packing my car to drive the 2500 miles across country to embark on a new adventure. I was wide-eyed and ready for anything, hoping the move would be a brilliant one, not one filled with regret, homesickness, and angst. To my luck and happiness my life in Seattle has proved to be more than I ever had hoped for.
Why Seattle? Good question, I had never been here before making the move. Heck, my interview was via the phone and I could have been making the biggest mistake of my life. I was leaving a wonderful family and friend network to go out on my own and start from stratch in some reguard. Maybe it is because I’m on the cusp of the Generation X and Y and incorporate the best and worst of those so called classifications. It’s truly hard to pin point an exact why.
I’m not sure I will ever truly understand myself in that regard, but because of my transition, I’ve become so much more aware of myself. Likelyhood that I would have had more self awareness and know ‘myself’ would have happened anyways with the reaching of my late twenties and boarding the thrity’s train. However, I was able to expidite the process with my ‘compltely on my own’ (in some ways, but still knowing I had support of loved ones) status.
Shortly after the “big move” I started writing emails friends and family on how I was getting along out here and what new sights I was taking in. I though I would turn back the clock for you and share a email I had sent around this time in 2009. Here is my trip down memory lane.
A DECEPTIVE whim….
February 10, 2009
So, as the daily grind seems to happen everyday (amazing, I know), I’ve found my time on the weekends more relaxing to “veg” out. It helps the pocket book, but not my exploratory schedule. My goal is to have at least two weekend-day adventures a month. I will like to share my most current even though it was short, but as most, not any less breath taking. I guess I need to practice my breathing techniques if I keep taking in all of the beautiful sights.
After a late start on Sunday, I decided to just get in my car and drive. Now I head south everyday so I thought; “self, why don’t we go north?” An afternoon drive north, what’s not to like about that? Well, not really knowing what to do, I remember that Anacortes is where you catch the Ferry to Orcus Island. Now I don’t know about you, but I would like to know what the other option is than cuss-ing? I know, I know bad joke.
Anyhoo, I got off the I-5 and headed west to the town, not really knowing if I would go to the San Juan Islands or just see where the ferry takes off from. After arriving at the docks at 2:30pm and seeing the price ($23.50 one way) I decided that for a short trip that would not last long, I was better off waiting for another time, when I could enjoy a whole day of Island hopping.
So, I made a 180 and headed back through town, just to check it out. Anacortes was very quaint and cute, but not really anything to do. I was kinda ready to throw in the towel and head back to Everett to rent a movie or something. However, lo and behold, I saw a sign for Deception Pass State Park. Remembering Stacy told me that Deception Pass was a place that I needed to visit; I took a right and decided to check it out.
I was not the only one that stopped to take in the bridge and walk over the beautiful pass; actually about 20,000 vehicles cross it daily. Deception Pass connects the Main land to Whidbey Island and it serves as another entrance to the Puget Sound. I enjoyed the walk across the bridge and took in some amazing views that were not deceptive at all.
The water was a greenish blue that flowed quickly under the bridge. The bridge that stood 180 feet over the water, gave way to view the shores on the bottom and the vast forest surrounding the water. Although much wildlife is said to be in the area, I only saw a seagull and a couple from Arizona. Now, I was good and did not feed the couple any of the biscotti that I had recently picked up at Starbucks to go with my tea. You must always heed the warnings when dealing with the wild.
Here is the History Lesson for the Day: The name “Deception Pass " derived from Captain Vancouver's realization that what he had mistaken for a peninsula was actually an island. He named that island "Whidbey" in honor of his assistant, Joseph Whidbey, who was at his side when Vancouver realized the mistake. The captain named the inlet at which he was anchored "Deception Pass" to commemorate the error. (Information taken from the Washington State Parks website).
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