Going back. Have you ever walked into your past? There is always a sense of comfort, but sometimes an urge to scream, "look at me now, this is where i've been, this is what i've seen and this is what i've become." Returning home from a weekend visiting Seattle, i was relieved to not feel that way. So many street corners held memories of moments, of conversations, of events, of experience. I had dozens of conversations while there, most i've had before, some overdue, some new and all really wonderful. There are many amazing people that call Seattle home and I am grateful to have found them when i lived there and feel so honored that i can stop in for a visit and pick up where we left off so long ago.
Drinking coffee is beyond a ritual in that town, it's almost a necessity. Tall split soy lattes everyday. So many different coffee shops, how do you decide? There were the three ways i was reminded of while there. First, taste. Second, make sure its fair trade, never ever drink Starbucks (although that applies no matter where you are). Third, do you know the barista and could we perhaps sip for free? There's a bunch of hungry thirsty artists and social workers in that town who need something to help them wake up on all those overcast days around noon.
There is something seriously magical about the landscape up there. I adore the trees and i'm taken by the purple mountains at sunset. There are some places that no matter how far you go from or how long you've been gone, will always feel like home. When i visit next, if i needed a place to stay, could i crash on your pine needled beds?
Heather's lesson and advice for the future: say what you've been meaning to say. if you can feel it in you, it's worth saying and you'll be surprised by how many people will want to listen.
