Normally this time of the year I'm working on my NYC anniversary post, but this year is a little bit different. Life sure has a funny way of throwing you curveballs doesn't it?! They joke you're not a real New Yorker until you've lived in the city for 7 years so I guess I justtt missed that cut-off. So instead of hitting that milestone this week, I'm celebrating a different anniversary.. my first full month of being a Washington resident again! 👈🏻 Woh, that still feels weird to say! 

So how's it going?! Now that I've gotten through some of the logistics of the move -- like sorting out health insurance, figuring out how to buy a car, and actually getting all of my stuff to the west coast.. all of that fun stuff -- I'm starting to adjust to my new normal. You can't get much further apart on the spectrum moving from New York back to my little hometown so I was a little worried about that, but for the most part, it's felt pretty great to get back to my roots. So what have been some of the biggest adjustments?! A lot! I like to joke that living in the city was like living on another planet and in a lot of ways it's true. There have certainly been a lot of changes on the flip side. Driving, having full sized appliances and a wholeee lot more space, less humidity, whole aisles of ice cream at the grocery store (I'm ok with this change), seeing sunsets, super-friendly people, allll of the outdoors... Some have been easier to adjust to (like the ice cream haha) and others that have been a little tougher like changing my work schedule! I think it's going to take a bit longer to adjust to that 5 a.m. wake-up time. 🙈

Generally, I'm someone who enjoys some downtime, but that is the one thing I haven't had much of this summer since being back. This girl has been busyyyyy. Like, can I have a free weekend to stay in my pjs all weekend soon?! I think staying busy has actually been one of the best things for getting adjusted, but I'm not going to lie it has been kind of exhausting. My life here is pretty different than my life in NYC though so it has kept me moving forward. So what have I been up to? Here are some of the major things!

Reconnecting with Fam & Friends

This has been the single best thing about being home again! Of course, now I'm missing all of my NYC friends, but it has been so great to reconnect with everyone here. I've been lucky to have been able to spend a lot more time home over the last year, but really being home is a totally different experience. When you live cross-country most of the time you see your family it's for an occasion, so it's great to be able to just hang out without any agenda. Being able to meet up with my Dad for an afternoon hike or spend an evening with my Mom has been so nice. It's little things like that, that you totally take for granted when you live near your parents so I've been trying to make up for the last 10 years of living out of state!

Getting My Outdoors On

This summer has been beau-ti-ful!!! Seattle broke a record from 1951 this year for 52 days without rain and boy have I been enjoying it. I've spent a lot of time this summer taking advantage of all of the outdoors Washington has to offer. In the mountains.. time at the lake.. walking along the beaches.. #Gimmealloftheoutdoors. While I'm staying back in my hometown, I've also taken up a hiking at a local spot during the week. There's something kind of therapeutic about getting your butt kicked climbing a mountain when you're starting over too.

Something I have also really come to appreciate about Washington since being back is the diversity of activities the state has. While I grew up here, I left the state when I was 18 so I never really fully appreciated that. You can go hiking one day, to the beach the next, and kayaking the next. I can. not. get. enough! I know there was a million things to do in NYC too, but it's been nice having a different set of options and a lot more that involve getting some fresh air. There's just something about being able to hop in your own car (more on that later) that is so freeing and I've been loving that.

Squeezing in some City Time

Along with spending a lotttt of times outdoors, I've also been getting my city fix in! I've always had such a love affair with Seattle, even though truthfully I know very little about it, so I have been loving the city adventures I've had so far. I've made it to two Mariners games this summer, enjoyed some time at Alki Beach, and also went to my first Seafair party and watched the Blue Angels!

It's interesting being back too because, in NYC, that's really the hub on the city side... Back here though, we also have a lot of smaller cities where there's still a ton of things to check out even if you're not in Seattle. Needless to say I have a lotttt of adventuring left to do. With more cities, my brain has kind of exploded for thinking about where I want to move next too. So many options... That decision can wait for another day though. For now I'm just enjoying checking out different things and fun events going on around the state.

Doing all of the Driving

Driving.. Guys, I bought a car and I'm not going to lie.. I'm kind of obsessed with it. I was lucky enough to have the best car buying partner EVER too! We walked into our first dealership to take a look at some of the options and I ended up driving out a brand new car right out of the showroom and I am in LOVE! Well maybe not with having a car payment, but the car... I LOVE!

HOLY MOLY! Let me tell you, cars are definitely a little more high tech than the last time I owned one.. I mean the last time I was driving my car still had a cassette player in it.. 🙈 If I'm being honest, it's going to take a bit for me to really figure it all out haha. 3 backup cams (kind of essential after my incident earlier this summer), lane departure warning, automatic braking.. the car can almost drive itself and those are just the ones I've kind of figured out so far. 

So needless to say it has been quite the month! There are definitely a lot of things about NYC I miss already, but it has been such an awesome start to this new chapter so far and I can't wait to see what comes next!

Alas, after 9 years (yikes 😳) I have made my return to Washington for a proper PNW fall! Giving credit where credit is due, I owe this trip back to my high school bestie Ang! Because when your friend from New Zealand lets you know she's coming home and you work for yourself you get on a plane and get your butt to the west coast!

Thanks to technology we get to chat a bit in between her trips to America every two years but danggg the years just keep flying by so I am so thankful I got to make it home to visit with her and meet her hubby (outside of Skype!) We may live on absolute opposite ends of the Earth (literally) but every time we're together it's like no time has passed. 

We totally lucked out and had a beautiful day in Seattle to play tourists. I've been to Pike Place more times than I can count, but I never quite tire of it and I'm pretty sure if I lived there I would totally buy myself one of their bouquets every week. 

After a really fun day of exploring together they headed off to their next adventure and I caught up with another one of my favorite people, Lindsey! With some impending storms in the forecast for the weekend, she suggested we spend a little time outdoors (good call!) So we headed over to Green Lake to walk the lake and take in some fall colors and boy was that a treat.. OMG 😍. 

I always joke with Lindsey that Seattle is so intimidating to me.. I know, I know I live in NYC, but Seattle just has so much variety and different neighborhoods that frankly I know very little about., plus there's that driving thing. So it is always such a treat for me every time we get together and when I get to explore new areas like a local. Ah, I just love it! Seattle you're dreamy.

I know I've already said it but I am SO very thankful for this time home -- and I still have over a week to go! Getting to visit with Angie and Lindsey was such a fun way to kick off my trip and I'm already itching for another day trip up to Seattle. So, so, SO happy this is real life and that I'm getting to spend more time at home. It's such a change of pace that really makes my heart full and I can't wait for the other memories to come from this trip!

After a stressful summer with lots of changes, one thing I couldn’t wait for was my end of summer trip back home. The last few times I’ve been home I’ve had back-to-back plans or occasions I was back for and haven’t had much downtime to actually spend with my family. So I’ve really been looking forward to this trip when the two pre-planned events for my week included a dentist appointment and Taylor Swift concert. Even better, my mom had the whole week off too so we could do as we pleased for the entire week together!

While trips home never seem long enough, I actually felt like I had some quality time with my family this time which was really nice. Let me take you down memory lane of my summer 2013 trip!

This time home we started out my trip with a family get-together! It was a kind of nice switch-up. Normally if we can get everyone together it’s on the tail-end of my trip so I was happy to see everyone (missing my Aunt Di and Uncle Del — We missed you guys!) The weather rained on our BBQ plans, but we made the best of our indoor space!

During the week we went to the local brewery where we met up with one of my mom’s friends and a couple of mine as well. Nothing like catching up with the old Enumclaw crew. No matter where I live, none of my friends can compare to these guys!

In true Anna fashion, I got to check out some of the new restaurants in the Claw too! Including the new sushi bar — yes a sushi bar in Enumclaw! I’m pretty picky when it comes to sushi, the last time I had it I took it home and cooked it (true story). Oshio’s nailed it though! They had a cool VIP room (Or so we were calling it) in the back where you took off your shoes, walked up to an elevated platform and then sat at a sunken in table. It was so neat and so different from anywhere else in town!

Another place I checked out that I’m now obsessed with is Legendary Doughnuts!

I’ve been following their Facebook page for the last year and finally got around to checking it out! The east coast doesn’t have anything on our west coast donut skills. And these were no exception!

I also spent some quality time driving ( I miss it) and admiring grocery store selections. I’ve gotten so used to our tiny grocery stores that Safeway gets me every time when I’m home. You mean this whole aisle is ice cream!? I swear I’m like an alien every time I come back, which is silly since that’s how I grew up. It’s funny the things you don’t notice or take for granted when you are so used to them!

Now onto the Taylor Swift concert! I got Little Duck tickets for Christmas for the Labor Day weekend show and the day had finally come! Way to make the poor girl wait 9 months for her Christmas present right?! Lol, we had a wonderful time though! The crowd was definitely very different from her last show and I think the only people there older than 10 were all parents, but it really was a great show!

She performed for over 2 hours and her set was crazy! Fireworks, tons of moving stages, and even a flying stage that went all over the stadium. Love or hate her, she can put on a phenomenal show!

Another highlight of my trip was our trip to the LeMay Car Museum. We got my dad tickets for Father’s Day, but the fam hadn’t made it there yet so we all checked it out together.

It was a really cool place! The outside of the museum reminded me of a big cockroach and was super modern inside. Even if you aren’t a huge car buff, you could still enjoy this place. It was kind of an ironic place for me to visit too when I think about it, now that I drive once or twice a year! Really cool place though!

My dad, John, and Kayla decided to try out their racecar simulator. It seemed pretty cool. I will say if you have a choice of who to drive with in a racecar, avoid Kayla. She wasn’t so good, haha!

On top of all of my adventuring, I also got some much needed relaxation time and home cooking (thanks Mom!).

Such a wonderful time! Until next time Washington, I’ll be seeing you :)