Northwest Spring into Summer

Seven and half years ago I made one of the 5 biggest decisions in my life, and moved to the Northwest in an effort to reboot and begin anew following my divorce (number 4 biggest decision of my life). Other big decisions that paid off for me in one way or another include having children, getting married (yes to the same man I later divorced, because in all fairness he gave me two absolutely amazing sons..so good decision) and oddly enough my career choice is up there because it has been rewarding, fulfilling and has always kept me in employable.

Anyway.....back to the move. I moved to the Northwest for many reasons, some of which never really panned out as I had hoped for, but some worked out better than I could have ever dreamed possible and there were even a few surprise twists along the way.

The biggest surprise for me, was Jeff. What we have, and what we are, was so unexpected and so far from the realm of what I anticipated for myself when I moved here, but......sometimes life does that to  and for us.

My hopes for a new beginning took on their own crazy evolution and looking back 7 1/2 years later, I have no regrets.  My kids are happy, I'm happy, and life, though never easy or smooth sailing, is always worth the effort. We have days of calm seas, and days of wild storms, but when the skies clear, it all makes sense in the bigger kaleidoscope that is me.

One of the things I have always loved the most about the Northwest as opposed to Orange County, CA, is the distinctness of our seasons.  There is no mistaking our Fall, or Winter, or Spring, or Summer, for anything other than what they are.  The beauty of each season is unique and awe inspiring.

The colors of fall are brilliant and something straight out of a Van Gogh palette. The crunch of the leaves as they dry after they are fallen, the smell of the harvest just before winter, and the gradient shortening of the days, all remind us that another year is drawing to its close and life is fluid.

Winter is spectacular, with its blues and silvers and the crisp cold that touches your cheeks and numbs your toes but is never quite harsh enough to confine you indoors or hinder your movement. Winter attempts to bite to the bone sometimes, but never really breaks. The landscape changes, the branches are bare, and the frost covers the fields every morning. Winter reminds us that life always takes a lull, hibernates, in order to refresh and come back with fervor and hope.

Spring is wet, with just enough chill to remind you its not yet summer but no longer winter either. The barren trees spring back to life with blossoms of pink and white and the streets once again find themselves shaded in every hue of green imaginable. The air is filled with the sounds of birds and the scent of blooms, and new life is all around.

And then without fanfare or ceremony spring suddenly becomes summer. The rains recede and the skies are a bright and comforting blue with the occasional wisp of cloud. The temperatures rise and the windows are opened to allow the fresh air and a mild breeze to flow freely through. A handful of "hot" days lies ahead but most of the days are comfortable and happy. The days are long with sunsets after 10 p.m. and the sounds of frogs and crickets fill the evening air. Hammocks are all full with stargazers awaiting the Leonids or counting orbiting satellites as they slowly cut a path across the black backdrop of the clear night sky. Weekends are filled with walks along the waterfront and the smell of freshly mowed lawns. Bar-b-que wafts through the air and tummy's rumble for hamburgers and watermelon.

This is the Northwest.  This is what I love about my choice. Not just the pace of life, or the peace of home, or my wonderful friends, but the seasons. The clarity that life is grand, and ever changing, and if you blink....you might miss something wonderful.  Don't blink.