Three Days till the Long Drive

Maybe I’m dense, but it always takes a while before my decisions and their repercussions sink in. Seeking my roommates, Karen and Laura, move out this past weekend brought it to my attention that I’m moving to Denver in a week. There is still so much to do before I leave on Friday, but I’m mostly packed! It took 4 carloads to the Goodwill before I was able to pack all of my things. I’m still finding items that I can give away. If I’m not going to take it to Seoul, and it would take more to ship it then to purchase it later on then I’m getting rid of it.

Snow in hilly Seattle only comes a couple years, but the whole city halts and usually brings people out in groves walking to their favorite restaurant or coffee shop. This past snowstorm, on Sunday, had people wrapping chains in their tires, when there is less then 2 cm of snow on the ground! The usual snow deprived kids were wearing their warmest clothes, grabbing anything that had a smooth bottom to try to slide snow the roads and grassy parks. To my Colorado eyes it was a sad silent cry for more snow and desperation of the winter fun that rarely visits Seattle for more then 2 days per winter.

Karen and I stood out on McGraw watching cars trying to drive up the iced cobble stone road, half would make it but the unfortunate people who went to slow or had 2 wheel drive weren’t able to make it up the short steep hill. By mid afternoon the roads were clear, but many people stayed home on Monday morning because they were scared of the ice.

2 weeks to go

The tradition of blending mine and my sister’s in-laws families together on Thanksgiving is special, a few days out of everyone’s rat race to remember the reason of life and family.  This year was especially good, because I knew it was one of the last times I would see my family before I left for Korea.  I made the decision of spending a couple months in Denver, after much departing, calculations of rent vs staying at home, staying at Upper Crust, so off I flew to Seattle for 3 weeks.   

My laziness/unwillingness of not resetting my clocks in my room as reverted my body clock to its natural state: wake up before dawn! Ok, so your saying that in Seattle dawn is 7:4

5, but now I’m getting out of bed at 5:30 or 6! This has become useful time to pack, try to learn the Korean alphabet, or read the latest book I currently have my nose in.  The downside of this: I’m falling asleep by 9pm, so much for a social nightlife. 

Given that I have a less then a month left in Seattle, I’ve been actively pur

suing seeing my friends, 1 from Bremerton whose normal drive would be 1.3 hours turned into 2+ h

ours (thanks Hiedi!!). We dined on delicious tapas at Provence, France’s Entre Nous, and I finally got to try Ratatouille! The name as intrigued me for years, and it is rarely on American menus. It was all that I had thought it would be J.  

Heidi and I traveled from France to Italy on Saturday, visiting Dolce de Europe’s open house and I trying to purchase every type of chocolate dessert and Panetone (traditional bread for Christmas time) in the store.  Then off to Napoli’s Via Tribunali with Karen and Heidi, a pizzeria on Queen Anne that I’ve been meaning to go to for three years. I can say its the best representation of a Napoleon pizzerias in Seattle! And I rekindled my love for Limoncello, J.