Wednesday, May 19

You Can't Go Home Again

Mark this date down: On May 12, 2004 at 1:43 p.m. EDT, after a mere 8 1/2 months of parenting, Adam and Jenny resorted to the thing they swore they would never resort to. Pure bribery. Doodles, after hour four, started to get fidgety and after trying toys, walking, and doing the chicken dance (which, on land, works wonders), the magic of Cheerios calmed him right down. Nothing like setting a good precedent.

So we the prodigal children returned to Seattle. And oh what a trip it was. Traveling 3,000 miles with a wee child is a recipe for disaster, but remarkably Doodles was amazing the entire time. I think I got more overwhelmed than he did. I had visions of Adam, Doodles, and I wandering the old neighborhoods, relaxing in coffee shops, and generally enjoying a slow-paced vacation. Of course I didn't realize that five mere days isn't nearly enough time to visit all of our friends (hey, I did live in Seattle for eight years--the longest I've lived consecutively in any one city). Our days were crammed with going from here to there to there. It was exhilarating, for sure. But relaxing? Not really.

Returning to Seattle was a little surreal. The place didn't feel like home, but it was too familiar to be just another town we were visiting. I knew exactly where we were going at all times, but occasionally, I just couldn't remember the way to get there. It was strange driving down streets and feeling the flood of familiarity but still being unsure about which way to turn.

We imposed on our friends J., M., and their daughter E. You know the old saying, "House guests, like fish, stink after three days." So I was worried about imposing on them for five nights. Hopefully we weren't too much of a burden on them, but it was the most comfortable house stay we've ever had. They had a lovely set-up for us and because E. is two, they had every toy imaginable for Doodles to occupy himself with. In fact, Doodles pulled himself up for the first time ever on their Intelli-Table (which I promptly then ordered for us off of eBay. And E. is simply the cutest little girl ever. It was an eye-opening view of what we're in for when Doodles hits the terrible twos (and really E. isn't terrible at all), but we also got a great role model for what we should do: J. and M. handled her so well. The best thing about E.? She liked my singing. Which means her parents should probably have her hearing checked.

The trip was a blur. We visited with lots of friends, toured the new Hillel with our absolute favorite rabbi of all time, ate tons, and generally had a wonderful time. We had dinner at A. and D.'s house on the East Side. Brunch at Green Lake with the KAG was superb. Andy cooked, once again, an amazing brunch (chocolate and vanilla waffles plus frittata!). Coffee with Dave and Diana (will you update your blogs already? And for goodness sake, bring Z. along next time!). Our buddy Sang threw us an amazing BBQ so we could hang with some of our Amazon friends. All in all, it was an incredible weekend.

Of course being there stirred up old emotions and made me (and Adam) question our decision to stay in the Boston area. There's so much I miss about Seattle, such as:
  • Our friends. Duh.
  • The lushness and greenness of the city. I remember so clearly crossing into Washington from Oregon after my three-month road trip. Washington just seemed so much more alive! It was July 2, 1994, and my whole life felt ripe with possibility. It was an electric feeling and Seattle certainly lived up the expectations.
  • The housing costs. Everyone in Seattle thinks that housing prices are insane, but they haven't been to the Boston area.
  • Hugo House. There is simply no equivalent in the Boston area (and don't tell me about Grub Street or Brookline or Cambridge Adult Ed. They don't compare in any way shape or form!).
  • The runs. There are plenty of places to go running in Boston but they're all out-and-back types of runs. The Minuteman, the Charles. The only loop I know of is Fresh Pond, which is short and not that pretty. I long for Green Lake, Seward Park, Golden Gardens, the Burke Gilman, just to name a few.
  • The restaurant culture. Boston has so many wonderful restaurants. But they're, for the most part, upscale places. Seattle is full of wonderful neighborhood places where you can get a fabulous meal for under $20. The Dish (you must, must, must order the Slacker Especiale), Hattie's Hat, Agua Verde (oh the view from there!), and a zillion other places. Boston has no breakfast culture. Seattle is all about breakfast (and I would kill right now for the Cheese-Baked Eggs at the Hi Spot Cafe, the one thing I regret not getting on this trip). There are a few places that open before 11, but not many. (And if anyone reading this has suggestions on places for early morning breakfasts--we already know about Renee's and Zaftigs--please tell me!)
Part of us (yes, "us." We talked about this) was ready to pack up and head back. But as much as we missed Seattle, we know there's no going back. You can't just slip back into your old life, especially with a little Doodles. All of our friends are in different stages of their lives and frankly, so are we! Besides, what would we do with ourselves? What kind of work would Adam find and what would I do with myself? Things click in Boston and as much I long for all the things Seattle has to offer, we're here and I plan on making the best of it.

I'm sure there's more to report on our trip, but Adam fed me almost an entire bottle of wine with dinner, so I can't think of any of it now. Suffice it to say, Seattle good.

1 Comments:

Blogger Daniella said...

You know, it's funny... I'm starting to get used to living up here, but I still miss home so very much. How long did it take you before that sense of loss went away? We've been here since August (so, about ten months) and, although I'm finally getting a community here, the pain hasn't really lessened. When does it stop?

9:26 AM  

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