Issue No. 001
August 2026
Seattle, Wa
Seattle was my home for 18 years. I moved around but was always exploring the city. Here it’s all sorts of rain for 10 months then drop dead gorgeous for most of summer and a bit into fall. It's quirky and fun with more weird things to do than normal, but that suits me. And every memory is connected to a friend. hugs, Liz
Local Tips:
1. A rain jacket is a MUST but umbrellas are few and far between.
2. Coffee is a custom but it's the little cafes we love most.
3. When in doubt, a hiking wardrobe will help you to fit right in.
4. Summers are EPIC. There is so much to do and see since Washington has a little bit of everything. Tropical rainforests, beaches, islands, desert, & mountains spread across the state but a car is needed to see it all.
5. Now that the Light Rail is running and stops are being added, visiting Seattle by foot is getting more possible.
A subtle way, as an ASL interpreter, I show I'm traveling is always a new nail color. Nailed it with purple and a coffee from the "original" Starbucks. I had to, at least once.
Like the time I wanted to learn blacksmithing and I knew J and Albert (my dear friends) would be down. Probably one of the more unique classes I’ve taken, but Lawless Forge made everything easy. Well, minus the actual hammering of metal. I should have stretched before, but those pains and strains made me a knife out of a horse shoe and I am proud of that fact. Through sweat and fire it was made and to top it off, it cuts pretty well.
Like that time when I barely said a few words about a bucket list item and Kristie (a dear friend) knew she was going to make Hot Tub Boating on Lake Union happen. With Jon at the helm and me on cooler duty, 6 of us including Kristie made it out on the lake in a hot tub. Half the time laughing over the bumps from the wakes of other boats and the other half laughing at my choice of song. It was an epic time and probably one of my favorite views of Seattle.
Like that time when Sarah (a dear friend) and I went up in a hot air balloon in Snohomish. Having a fear of flying was no issue since we simply floated. The occasional burst of heat and flame to keep us afloat and everything was becoming miniscule. I’ve never had to trust a basket more than in that hour. Considering it required a liability waver, we were at the mercy of the elements in a freeing and vulnerable way.
Like that time with Jon (my husband) at Dancing til Dusk, when the floor was temporarily thrown in the middle of the park, everyone crowded around their sweaty partners dancing next to trees and a life size chess board. Experience didn’t matter because it was summer and sunny in Seattle. It was a relationship on that checkered floor that may last 3 minutes or longer, depending on the band.
Like that time when you had to show up early for a fire pit at Golden Gardens. Ange (a dear friend) was insistent and, I will give it to her, it was worth it. A cozy place to sit, make s’mores, and watch an epic sunset. On another evening when Jon and I were alone, we’d return to that very beach for a picnic but Jon had other plans and would get down on one knee.
Like the time I realised Washington state had “islands”. Growing up in a small town like Olympia I had no concept of such a thing. Islands were tropical and far away but one year, to my surprise, Lora and Anna (dear friends) mentioned the phrase “girl’s trip,” and exploring the Islands was born … at least for me. When summers rolled around and there was space in our calendars we ticked off the list, one by one. They feel like a small nestled little part of WA. Just the cozy good parts, with ocean, art, and seafood.