Thursday, August 12, 2010

my Seattle "epiphany"

So, while we were in Seattle, I had one of my epiphanies. You should know that my epiphanies probably don't even deserve that appellation, because, as enlightening as they may seem to me at the time, they are quite often of the DUH variety. You have been warned.

Whenever I would think about Seattle, my thoughts didn't really get beyond, "I love Seattle!"

I never thought too much about why I loved it, or what I loved about it. I just knew that I was excited to be going back, and excited to show the kids around the city that we so enjoyed.

But as we were visiting various museums and attractions – basically being tourists – I suddenly realized: this is not what I loved about Seattle. What I loved about Seattle was living there.

It was the awesome public library system. It was working at the University of Washington. It was the beautiful, lush greenery everywhere. It was becoming a mother. It was taking Max to the local bagel shop and swimming at the lake. It was shopping for quilt fabric at In the Beginning. It was our great friends. It was pushing the stroller with Max on the Burke Gilman trail. It was my incredible doctor. It was rarely being too hot.

It was picking wild blackberries and making cobblers and jam and ice cream and just eating bowlfuls of berries with cream.

So as much as I enjoyed returning to Seattle, it just wasn't the same at all.

See? I told you – duh.

{the end}

7 comments:

Jill said...

I think this counts as an epiphany!

Melinda said...

I had one of these the second time I went back to CA with my new little family. It's just not the same. Seattle is one of the places on my list to visit. Jason has been many times for business. I am hoping one of the times I will be able to tag along.

Unknown said...

lovely and meaningful epiphany!

jenn said...

Your visit to Seattle is so different from what mine would be- we had very different experiences living there.

But I totally share your epiphany- I loved waking up to croaking frogs in the creek and quacking ducks on the lawn, the canopy that wrapped around me everywhere I went, racing to catch the ferry, exploring with my brothers and sisters, being kissed at the end of the pier under the stars, learning to drive a stick shift on big hills, and definitely the blackberries that grew wild along the road where we walked home from school each day...

Visiting is never quite the same. Though I still love to go back.

Miranda said...

I couldn't agree more. The longer we've been away from Seattle the more I've thought I could actually live there forever.

Kelly said...

I think this is a totally valid epiphany. I feel the same way about Portland. Though I'd love to visit again and again and again. It really just isn't the same.

Rebekah said...

I think this is a great epiphany. You've found something out about yourself, which always feels like a victory.

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