One year in the Northwest

A weird thing happened when I looked at my calendar earlier this week - I realised that today marks a whole year since we traded in L.A. for Seattle. I could probably continue at this point with half a dozen clichés about time flying, but I'll spare you. Instead, I'll bore you with a bunch of visuals. My photos tend to be better than my words anyway.

I've had several half-baked posts sitting in my draft box over the last couple of months, so I've decided to hell with it, and rolled them all into this one. Snipped away the few words there were, and am letting the images do the talking. You'll just have to believe me when I say this post is actually two months in the making. There are times when I'd rather bake banana bread than sit down and blog, you know? Or figure out the best way to make banana pudding (which I've become obsessed with). Or simply eat donuts (something I do love about Seattle).

Essentially, I'm making the most of getting outside as the days become a little drier and warmer. The long daylight hours are divine - something I loved about living in the UK too - and given that I'm typically at work four evenings a week, those other three evenings are not guaranteed to be sunny and dry. When they are, I drag everyone down to one of the lakeside picnic spots, so that I can enjoy a sunset. Not a swim though. No. That lake water is still far too cold for a wimp like myself.

We've been discovering new places to wander - both local, and a little further out. Been visiting favourite touristy spots again, and doing our best to shake the pallor of winter off ourselves. School finished up last week, so I'm finding myself now a little more time-poor... but the mini sleep-ins are making up for it. Swimming lessons are the only thing that have us rushing out the door this month, but July - when my parents visit - is going to be packed full.

Anyhow, there it is. A whole year in Seattle, and we've still got a lot of discovering to do. I have a lot of affection for the Pacific Northwest and all its clean air, good coffee and amazing food, but I need to work on making peace with its winters before I start feeling like one of the locals. I have a way to go, I suspect.

In the mean time...