Seattle Adventures and Bittersweet Goodbyes

With the unpacking mostly complete in Seattle, we were able to focus on our time together, enjoying each other and the Pacific Northwest. We visited the Theo Chocolate store and bought a few goodies that they only offered at that location. We tried a seasonal bar with dark chocolate and lemon, which turned out to be better than I had imagined. Equally delightful were a dark chocolate and chai ganache and a curry crunch. Another nearby attraction was the Edith Macefield House, fondly referred to as the ‘Up House,’ like in the Disney movie. We didn’t realize until later that it was near the Trader Joe’s we had visited a few times before. It was strange to see the little house surrounded by a massive building. Like most things these days, not much stands in the way of new construction. A week or so later, we ventured a bit out of the city to Cougar Mountain Regional Park and enjoyed a short but inclined walk in a lush and musky forest. Various insects and plants made for a fun experience of trying to see what we could spot during the walk.

On a different excursion, we set off to find some trails by the water and discovered some near Montlake Cut. After walking around for a bit, it hit me that we were near UW. Walking a bit further, I saw “home of the boys on the boat” painted on the canal wall. Somehow, with all that was going on, I had forgotten to associate being in Seattle with being in the area where the book The Boys in the Boat took place. It is the story of the 1936 US Olympic nine-man rowing team. It was quite exciting to be in the place where so much of the book took place almost 100 years ago. I mention this book because, a couple of years ago, it got me into reading. Those who know me are aware I have never been much of a reader. Although I’ve tried over the years, it was never something I enjoyed or made a habit of, no matter how much I aspired to. I can’t quite remember how I stumbled onto the book and decided to read it. However, the way it was written about their stories, struggles, and successes captivated me, and I couldn’t put it down. Ever since then, I’ve continued and completed many other books.

A few days later, we set off to visit our friends in Newberg, Oregon. It was great to see the various areas in the city where my family spent the first seven years after arriving in the United States. As we walked and drove around, it was impressive to see how much had changed and also how much had not. Although I didn’t get to spend time with everyone I would have enjoyed, the time spent with those I did see was wonderful. As it worked out, one of our favorite DJs, ATB, was performing in Portland. We went together as a group, enjoyed an amazing show, and spent the night in the city. It was an unforgettable experience. Hearing and dancing to songs that have been in our lives for over 25 years brought back a flood of memories of places, times, and people connected by these songs. In one specific case, a song brought forth memories of my childhood friend who passed in 2018 and all the times we spent together. A sense of sadness came over me; I let it flow over me, taking in the song and the memories as tears ran down my face. I hugged my partner as the song neared the end and the feelings dissipated.

After the weekend, we returned to Seattle, where we would have close to two weeks together. We continued our adventures, visiting Carkeek Park where we learned that in early spring, pup seals can be seen on the beach. We enjoyed drinks and oysters at Ray's Café, where the outdoor seating is over the water and looks out on the Puget Sound. We visited the Pike Place Market again and learned that there are multiple floors to it! It was a reminder of the importance of reading up on what you're visiting, or you may miss out. (Or not, and enjoy the feeling of discovering something new on your own). Taking the car on the ferry was something on our list of things to do, and we were able to do that and visit Bainbridge Island where we got to see one of the Troll installations from Thomas Dambo.

As the days to my return to Boulder dwindled to under a week, each day was a reminder that it would be the last Monday together, then Tuesday, and so on. The idea of not being together with her anymore became more real and harder to bear. We continued to share our feelings and discuss how we could cope with such a big change. An important exercise, but futile in diminishing the intensity of the feelings. The day of my flight finally arrived. It became hard not to cry as the day went on. Amidst the sadness, we also made sure to try to enjoy some moments and not dwell solely on it. We stopped at our favorite boba place, Xing Fu Tang, on the way to the airport. After spending some time walking and getting to see a great view of Mt. Rainier from the roof of the parking lot, we said our goodbyes. We took the elevator down to the floor where our paths diverged, hugged tightly one more time, and I walked down the bridge towards the airport feeling an immense weight on my chest, where each breath in was harder than the next.

It is hard to put into words the contradiction of the hope in our hearts to reunite and the logic in our minds to take on these separate paths. It will be a trying time for us both, especially for her being alone in a big new city. I will continue to process and feel the sadness while also enjoying the time with my family and friends over the next couple of months before I head out into the world.