closing the Face Book Chapter

Lots of friends I met at work

I initially joined because after a few months of people asking and past the point of us notifying people we were moving away from Seattle I concurred it seemed like an easy enough way to stay in touch with our people; the community I built up over the 16 years we had lived in Seattle. Folks I'd met through work (mostly), through kid activities, random events, or mutual friends;  Other Coloradans who had migrated to the NW.  Friendships that carried us along through some challenging times and celebrated with us when the occasion arose; essentially the village that helped raise my daughter for 14 years... 

Life Long "Villagers"

I hadn't expected it but of course, as happens, I did end up connecting with people I had gone to elementary - high school with...

EVEN friended a few folks I met during my 7th grade yr. (living with my grandparents in the South)...

many many moons ago.... 

and it made sense that with my little one turning the corner into teendom, I figured I should have an account so that I could keep an eye on hers (although she has since even grown out of FB and moved onto Tumblr (which I don't have and don't care too)...

it goes by so so fast. 

Then... FB became a tool for connecting with people, and places here in Pittsburgh and wow did I ever connect. The thing that has made all the difference, for me here in terms of assimilatin' n'at, are the people who have brought me into their own communities. The folks who have literally opened their hearts and homes to my entire family - because of that our story in PGH is easily a successful mid-life-quit-our-jobs-move-cross-country experiment.

Pittsburgh Ladies KNOW how to inspire! 

Families, Fun, Friends

I was thinking about the weekend I "swung by da'Burgh" for a weekend two months before we  moved here, and realized all these amazing, talented, loving people were here going on about their lives, and even if inadvertently, making space for us in them. I could not be more grateful.  

You can take the girl out of the Burgh... 

For all this and more yes I have indeed took advantage of Facebook; but I think its usefulness isn't what it used to be. I've used both Flickr and Twitter to assure future interactions with new people who came into my life and for the ones who are already in it, I've decided there are other better methods of keeping those synapses active. One of those being the US Postal System. I LOVE MAIL, real touchable tangible mail. I love receiving and sending it and I feel that given the state of the system I better get my use out of it now, before the whole thing goes kaput.

But you can't take the Burgh out of the Girl!!!! 

There is also email, text, telephone, facetime and or skype, and for some there is even LinkedIn. The kid is nearly off to start her own young adult life, and for those connections I have made which are unable to survive my departure from facebook I can only offer up my appreciation for sharing this strange social network experience with me and wish you all the best.

I'm looking forward, actually, to spending more energy on my hobbies, my mid-life, my honey, LIFE in general. 

not along the Lewis & Clarke Trail

Note: I started writing this post a while back, first in my head while I worked my way through the photos; then here. I started, stopped, changed directions with it a few times; had two separate posts going, deleted one, and now here we are. Four months later...

I arrived back in Seattle a little less then 1000 days since I drove away in a U-Haul with the huz, our dog, and all our stuff. I wasn't sure what to expect, the irony of that being I prepared an agenda. I actually always prepare an agenda (with wiggle room) for any trip longer then a week. Plus the mister was also traveling for work, so the agenda also served as contact information for the person staying back here with out girls. An agenda also gave me an opportunity to really make the best use of my time, I had planned two social events (one family friendly, the other not) into the 11 days I was there and planned to stay in strategic locations so as to reach the people I wanted to see with some ease.

The first item on my agenda was a haircut, which oddly enough caused me to come back into the city on the inbound lanes of the route we drove out in the U-Haul. The only reason that is remotely interesting, to me anyways, is because there are a few ways to drive into the city from the airport. Having traveled in and out of Sea-tac a considerable amount over 18 years I have very vivid memories of seeing the city from all those particular routes, and day or night if the lighting is right Seattle is a beautiful city to see. So it's odd that I took a very round about way in that I never would have when I lived there, and to boot the light wasn't right; but as I said to my friend who was driving me, "I'm not here to see the city, I just want to see friends, people. There are just a few special places I want to see."
When visiting friends I try to be considerate of work schedules, small children, and other obligations; ie. planning the trip around a three day weekend. I even scheduled some lunches at work sites, just to cover all my bases.

So I arrived, got my haircut, filled up on coffee (it is Seattle, after all), watched a beautiful sunset, had dinner with several dear friends (whom accumulatively I have known for longer than my lifetime); and settled into a Rabbit Hole for the weekend.

The next thing I know it's snowing... and honestly it didn't stop snowing or precipitating in some unusual fashion (frozen rain) for the next 8 days. At which point I promptly tossed the agenda and wandered the frozen urban tundra known as Seattle . 73.5% of the time I felt like a foreigner, who had read ALL the Traveler's Guides to Seattle. Unfortunately having snow the last several winters has still not prepared the area for that kind of weather. The city shuts down, most offices close, there is minimal bus service, and even if there were the streets aren't plowed enough. Thankfully there were kind souls who took me in, and sheltered me from the storm(s); a few even provided me with carriage to other destinations; which given the conditions of the roads was beyond gracious of them. At one point I ended up riding a luggage/sled combination, it was the only way to transport it.

While the trip wasn't what I had initially planned it to be, it was what it needed to be. Although there are a few people I wish I had spent more time with while I was there, the families and friends who I ended up being housebound with were exactly the right people I needed to be connecting with.

Just as Michael and I have been through ups and downs since moving to Pittsburgh, folks back in Seattle have faced their own challenges and had their own successes. It was hard for me to hear about these challenges and feel so far away, unable to be closer to those I hold dear.

I hope to return again during warmer days, and see those I hadn't seen this last time or spend more time with those I only saw briefly. But I hope all of my dear ones in the Pacific NW know that no matter the distance or the years, I am always here for you. A phone call, Skype/G chat, text, email, letter I am easily reachable and if you find your self in the Iron City you are always welcome in my home.

not exactly "round trip"

926 days from the start date to the end date, end date included

Or 2 years, 6 months, 12 days including the end date

Alternative time units

926 days can be converted to one of these units:

• 80,006,400 seconds
• 1,333,440 minutes
• 22,224 hours
• 132 weeks (rounded down)

pure goodness

Recently I received an email from a gal, who works at a local independent radio station, she was letting me know she used a photograph I posted of a local yoga studio for their rotation (#4).

I first met the owner of said yoga studio at a volunteer event for said radio station about three months into living here in Pittsburgh.

I know this for sure: the choice to volunteer at the radio station absolutely contributed to the success of me living in Pittsburgh; because the owner of the yoga studio has absolutely contributed to my ability to have a supportive, loving, magical community here in Pittsburgh.


I'm excited to discover what other amazing connections are waiting to be made in 2011~