I made it home safe and sound after 13 months in Asia. I had an awesome year, and I'm also very happy to be back in Seattle. Here's something I wrote about a month ago when I first got to Thailand, as I was enjoying my travels but dreaming of home:
(Written Thursday March 10)
It's a tropical paradise of white beaches, torquoise water, soft sand, colorful fish, luscious fruit. Almost sterile in its beauty- too bright, too clean. And I don't want it any more. I want slate-green ocean and grey skies, beaches so rocky and rocks so barnacled you must wear sandals to swim. Messy, slimy waterfront of kelp and bladder-rack. Purple starfish the most vibrant animal underwater. Boring, boring, comfortingly boring clear jellyfish. Kale and carrots and local berries. Blackberries so abundant and invasive you can't sell them. Apples, delicious but unpretentious. These are our fruits. Salmon, caught and smoked by a family member. Cold water that I hold dear. Crisp, austere Cascades. Aloof Olympics. Rain that you can walk in but not swim in. Kids who eye me cautiously because I'm a stranger but not a foreigner. I want to complain about the lack of sun, not nurse a sunburn. I want to wear that old hat I've had for too long, and the knit scarf that is all stretched out. Cowgirl boots and rubber boots. Trade instant coffee for something organic, locally-roasted, and snobbily-brewed. Trade mango lassi for yerba mate. A chance to make my mom laugh, one of my favorite things. A chance for my friends to make me laugh.
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4 comments:
AMBER!!!!!!! This is so beautiful! I can totally relate to it too... thinking of times when I've been far away and in an amazing new culture with picture perfect scenery, but just wanting the PNW, pure and simple! You put it into such beautiful words! Hey, so we're trying for a trip back to the west side... really trying for a June 10th (ish) trip for Paul's graduation from Evergreen, but still working on details on that (I'll be a month away from my due date by then and other logistics...yada yada..). When did a trip across the state become such a big deal?! You just flew from across the WORLD! :)
Glad you are home, safe and sound. CANNOT WAIT TO SEE YOU!!!
Welcome back to your beloved gray PNW, dearest.
Yeah pretentious coffee!
Welcome back Amber...beautiful post. Having been here for 5 years since leaving Korea in 2006, I for one am a bit tired of the grey skies, but I still LOVE Washington. We should go out for bibimbap in Shoreline or maybe something more Washington-ian? Also, you should stop by Yoon's Yoga Bliss for a yoga class. It's in Shoreline! If you'd like to meet up, you can contact me at my e-mail: kathyjenkins@hotmail.com!
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