🏔️My Sunny Seattle Summer Day
Mount Rainier, you are a beaut
Aloha fellow learn-it-all 👋
Greetings from Chicago O’Hare Airport!
I just flew three hours and 56 minutes from Seattle to Chicago. This is my first time leaving Hawaii’s chain of islands since 2023. In this experience, culture shock has been real. Bloody noses from the dry air. It costs money to be in nature, semi-trucks fill the highways, and the temperature changes quickly. Trader Joes seasonings abundantly in the pantry above the dish washer.
My layover in Seattle was 42 hours and I finally got to to see Washington for the first time not through a glass window pane. Visiting my friend Allison out here, I got to make a fun little trip out of it, and it was notable!
Finally, last week in my ✨ Life’s Little Wins letter, I mentioned backpacking the Na Pali Coast Trail in Kauai. I got back from that trip and skirted quickly back to the airport. There’s been more chaos than order in life these days. Similar to the film on my Kodak camera, all the experiences I captured on that trip are taking more time to develop. To sum it up into a word, for now, it was zesty.
Now, let’s dive into letter 225 from a learn-it-all. Enjoy!
❤️Gratitudes
Before going into the rest of this letter, I want to start with a moment of grace. I want to acknowledge some simple things that I’ve been grateful for:
My consistent hydration from my water bottle and accessible drinking fountains everywhere.
Ibuprofen for making walking not hurt as much as my big toenails grow off.
The fun of relistening to old voice notes and organizing them into folders.
The sense of fullness I get from looking through old photos on my phone.
The dark screen mode doesn’t strain my eyes extremely hard as I type out this edition in the dark on the plane.
Being able to download music from Spotify.
To my plane neighbor Michael the 63yo Canadian retired catering company owner, father of two sons and a daughter for sharing his dreams with me and listening to my dreams.
Watching sunsets from my window seat.
The blueberry almond crisp Cliff bars that have been preventing my hanger from coming out
To community that adds meaning to my life.
❓Question to think about
What impression has Seattle left you with?
📜🖋 Poetry Corner
🏔️My Sunny Seattle Summer Day
A sleepy start Waking groggy in my bundled blankets Burr it’s cold outside. Slippers and my sweater quickly came on Then scrambled eggs for brekkie of course. Seattle, the city of Suburus. We embark packed for adventures. Here we go! First stop: Costco For a full tank of gas, 3.43 a gallon. Limitless possibilities ahead. Trucks full of timber on the highway over Interstate signs in the shape of George Washington’s head. Cruising in the HOV lane. While nearing the national park, the two-lane road feels like northern Michigan, with pine trees in the perimeter of the pavement. There’s a long line of hatchbacks for the 1pm entry. My bladder too sated, I found an outhouse. So sanitary. As we enter the park The conifers become comprehensive As the trunks fattened, and the moss drooped lower, my jaw dropped lower. We started on the skylight loop trail About six miles and 2000 feet ascent— Most of the climbing is in the first half of the trail. The whole time, the view was magical. Mist over the mountain Snow piles in the pockets of rock at the base Scurrying well-fed chipmunks cutely A heavy-bodied slothlike marmot sunbathing At the rocky base of the mountain. Howling wind carrying the sounds of the falling water. As I spotted the cascade mountain range, Contrasting against the blue sky, Thankfully with cloudless clear visibility I found my geographic footing. Glistening water sliding down the rivers In the meadows, valleys, and babbling brooks. Mount Rainier, you’re a beaut.
📸Photos of the Week
I finally got to see what has been my random desktop countless times in real life: Mount Rainier. It’s the national Park 2 hours south of Seattle. Every angle from every height on my hike otook my breath away. Also, this was my first time hiking without a shirt on while snow was present around me. The sunny summer Seattle days are crazy.
🎧Listening
Someone’s Watching Over Me by Hilary Duff
Sooner than it seems life turns around
And I will be strong even if it all goes wrong
When I'm standing in the dark I'll still believe
Someone's watching over me
🌟Quote to inspire
“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” — George Bernard Shaw
🙏Shoutouts
My amazing host Allison. You are a creative light in the kitchen, an active adventurer, and a blessing to be my same foot and body size. Thank you for loaning me long sleeves, wool socks, and trail runners.
I appreciate you reading this!
If ideas resonated, I’d love you to press the heart button, leave a comment, reply to this email, or reach me at vermetjl@gmail.com.
Keep on learning 😁
Mahalo 🌺
Jen
PS - you can check out my life’s little wins from last week here.
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I’m glad you enjoyed your time here! Say hello next time 😊
You picked a perfect window to enjoy the pacific northwest and captured it well in your poem. I laughed at the Subarus. My brother lives just north of Seattle and has 3 of them in his family.