One Month In Seattle: Life Update

We are officially one month into our big move from Kansas City to Seattle. It’s been a journey for sure. I feel like we are just now settling into our new life here. The past six months left me frazzled and overwhelmed, and I’m finally beginning to take deep breaths again. There has been so much change and so many little details to manage, especially surrounding the kids – enrolling them in school, finding a new pediatrician, signing them up for activities, the list goes on. I wanted to catch you up how life is going here in Seattle for our family. Prepare for a few jumbled together thoughts as I just let the words flow in this post.

One Month In Seattle

Let’s start off with the struggles. First, we miss family, of course. The last two summers we spent at least three days a week at my in-laws pool, and, in this season, we are feeling that distance. I’m also not stoked about being away for family dinners and holidays which we experienced for the first time with the Fourth of July this past week. That is, most definitely, the part of this move that has been the most difficult, and to be honest, filled me with a little (okay, a lot) of guilt. I’m just hoping we can make up for it with long visits where we can spend days together and catch up.

On a less serious note, there are some other things about Seattle that have been a little frustrating. For one, finding a parking spot on any given day is a bit of a hassle, and we’ve ended up staying home on a few occasions instead of dealing with it. I’ve always been a little anxious driving in unfamiliar areas, and that just adds to my anxiety. Thankfully, Seattleites tend to drive a little slower and less aggressive than those in the Midwest so that’s made it a bit easier. Driving in general is different here; people parallel park on both sides of the street on every street (sometimes in the opposite direction!) There are bus lanes, bike lanes, scooters, and all modes of transportation going on all the time. I’m hoping as time goes on, as I get used to this area, I’ll be more inclined to drive in busier parts of town.

We’ve also had to be more aware of our belongings and leaving stuff in our car as property crime is a problem here, but we haven’t had any issues so far. I think every major city has seen an increase in crime in the last few years, and Seattle is not immune to that.

In terms of who’s struggled the most in this transition, that award goes to our cat, Prue. She was so freaked when we arrived, she took to hiding in the walls where she found a little open spot to squeeze in. She would set up camp for HOURS everyday, and we ended up blocking the area off because we were afraid she would become stuck. She also developed crystals in her urine from not drinking enough water which resulted in an emergency trip to the vet that took all day and an expensive vet bill along with a prescription for special food. Thankfully, she’s finally getting used to things.

Now let’s move on to the positives. In short, we LOVE it here. It’s obviously the very beginning stages of this move, so it’s hard to tell how we’ll feel in a year or two, but one month in, and we are smitten. This city has all the qualities we were hoping for in our new home – an urban environment, some public transportation, and access to outdoor activities. As I type this, in an hour, we are leaving on our first camping trip to Mt. Rainer National Park.

Seattle is also pretty similar to Portland, where Danny and I lived for three years in our 20s, and it’s bringing back so many memories. I walked into a Safeway again the other day (a Safeway of all places!) which I hadn’t been to since we lived in Portland, and the sensory experience brought back memories of visiting that grocery store ten years ago. I’ve had many similar moments. It’s weird to be back in this environment with a different mindset, a little older, and hopefully a little wiser, as well as having two kids along for the ride.

And as always, moving to a new place where you know almost no one can feel really isolating. With the kids being out of school this summer, it’s been difficult to meet other families in our community. However, I got to meet two kind and welcoming women this past week who reached out to me, and it was SO nice. People talk about the Seattle Freeze, but I’ve found most people I’ve met so far to be really very friendly.

Because we arrived at the beginning of the summer, and the kids are out of school until September, this has felt like some long extended vacation, and I’m not sure it will feel like we really live here until the kids are back to their school routine. I know so many people talk about the rainy season as well, and while we pretty much know what we’re in for considering this isn’t our first time living in the Pacific Northwest, I’m still a little nervous about it. Mostly, how do I dress chic when it rains all the time? Lol. For now, we are so excited to get out and explore this summer. We keep having to remind ourselves that we have years to see all there is to see in the Pacific Northwest.

In summary, I think this place has quickly stolen our hearts, and I’m just really invigorated by this big change. I know some people find comfort in the familiar (I do, too) but sometimes that familiarity begins to feel like a rut. And to be honest, that is kind of what I felt like in Kansas City. I needed change; something to shake things up, an adventure. And this move is giving me that. If you’ve made it this far, thank you reading along and for supporting this little blog.