Surreal in Seattle

Our vacation/visit/return to Seattle was nothing short of surreal.  Really, truly SURREAL.  Here is the definition of surreal, in case you are wondering: marked by the intense irrational reality of a dream; also: unbelievable, fantastic.  And that pretty much sums it up.

I had some reservations about us going home for the month knowing it might be difficult to return to Berlin, especially for Josie who sat pretty near the middle of the fence when we decided to stay another year.  Actually, she was

mostly on the side of the fence that was in the backyard of our West Seattle house to be honest.  She said she would sign on or another year but it was a bit begrudgingly.  I thought that a trip home to Seattle might make it pretty difficult for her to stay true to her word of agreeing to return.

We arrived in Seattle and we were all a bit awe struck by being "back".  Marty had returned twice during our year abroad for work related things but he didn't stay in our home, rather he stayed with his parents or his friend, Jodi. And he didn't come back with

all of us in tow which made it different.  But he had been back.  He had seen our house and seen West Seattle and connected with a few friends. The kids and I had not been back in nearly 12 full months.
As much as I traveled in my 20's I never was away from my home for more than 3 months without at least a brief trip home.
We all got wide eyed and nostalgic as we crossed the West Seattle bridge, despite our extreme exhaustion from being awake nearly 24 hours.  We turned onto our street and everything looked and felt exactly as we had left it.  Nothing looked different.  Nothing felt different.

We pulled up to our house and other than not having our garage door remote to open the garage door everything seemed the same.  We walked in and it felt like home. Really truly home.  It was weird, it was comforting and surreal but mostly it was just home. and as if we had never left.  We unloaded our bags and after bit of discussion, Josie and I hop in the car... so weird to just "hop in the car!!"  We drove up to Safeway just to buy a few things for dinner and breakfast the next morning.  The trip to the store was crazy.  In a lot of ways it just felt normal as I had been to this store 1,000's

of times in the past but the size of the store and the quantity and variety was a bit overwhelming.  As was the checker's friendliness and helpfulness.  I waited in wonder as the customer before me had a full on friendly conversation with the checker about her

upcoming weekend.  Going a year without hearing or seeing these friendly interactions between strangers, particularly in the grocery store, made me giggle.  When it was my turn to check out I

watched in amazement as they very slowly checked each of my items and BAGGED them into my bags.  It was so relaxing. It was so NOT stressful.  But it was awfully expensive. 

I'm not sure if the price of food and groceries in general had gone up during our year in Germany or if I was just used to the very low cost of living in Berlin.
Josie and I drive

home.  Benjamin was getting out of the bath which he decided he needed on his own, and Marty was already down for the count!
The next four weeks were filled with family and friends and wonderful moments of reconnecting.  It was probably the best 4 week vacation any of us had ever had.  Well, Marty had to work 3 of those weeks but other than having to get up at 4AM it felt a bit like a vacation for him too since being live in the studio with his team was much more fun than sitting alone in our bedroom in Berlin with the rest of the team just able to be viewed on computer

screens.   But from the first minute until the last we felt at home.  We felt like we belonged.  We felt comfortable and safe because we knew the norms and I don't think we were scolded, not

once,  by a stranger.  It was nice in all the ways being home is nice.  And in all of the very best ways it felt like we had never left.  Marty and I talked often about how our year in Berlin felt like a dream while we were in Seattle.  It was truly like it never actually happened.  We had memories of things and of course, if we truly thought about specific things we could remind ourselves of events that had happened during the year but it felt more like we had just gone on a two week vacation and now we were

back. It was sincerely one of the strangest things we have ever experienced.  It was as if our life in Berlin didn't exist - in the past or present or future.

During our first week back I doubted if we should be returning to Berlin for a second year.  Did we make a mistake by extending our adventure to include another year?  What would life look like if we just decided to stay put in Seattle?  There were a lot of emotions and thoughts going through my head. 

The kids were VERY happy to reconnect with friends and with their rooms and toys and things.  Marty and I relished in the ability to see family and friends and have meaningful conversations about the past year.

By week two Josie had a bit of a melt down and was in tears about not wanting to return to Berlin.  Marty and I had a heart to heart with her and were very honest about our own doubts about returning, too.  We all were LOVING our time in Seattle.

By week three something shifted in me and I was ready.  I was ready to admit that returning to Berlin was, indeed the best choice for us.  Marty, too.  We still had one more week in Seattle but it

felt good to know that we were on, what we felt to be, the right path for our family.  It is strange how strong a pull being home is on your heart and soul.  It was very VERY nice to fill up on everything we had missed and then feel good and ready to return. 

Josie was still a bit on the fence but never had another melt down and when it came down to it there was not one ounce of hesitation or regret.  She happily got up in the morning of our flight and didn't for

an instant give the impression that she was against us returning to Berlin.  Just to be clear if you don't know Josie, she is a lot like Marty and you never have to wonder what she is thinking or feeling. 

She always lets you know.  So, even though I worried she would be in tears for the entire flight back, she was great. More than great.  Just went along for the ride. The only time

Benjamin said he didn't want to return to Berlin was after a very fun day on Lake Washington with friends where he experienced being pulled on an inner tube behind a boat for the

first time and swimming and playing in the lake for hours.  After such a fun day he wanted to stay in Seattle forever... or at least as long as he could do that day again over and over!!  As with Josie we had to remind him and Josie

several times that comparing our year in Berlin with our July in Seattle was a bit unfair.  In July, there was no school, the weather was perfect, they both had endless playdates, were able to have several sleep overs, they both slept in until nearly 9 or 10AM every morning, we hung out with family and Josie was

really the belle of the ball after having been gone all year - all of her friends wanted to see her and she them.... but that wasn't real life and that most certainly would not look like our life every day for the

next 365 if we chose to stay and not return to Berlin.  So, despite a bit of mixed emotions, we all were sad to leave Seattle, our home and friends and family but ready for whatever this next year might bring.

Here is a brief and very incomplete list of what we did while in Seattle:

• 1 Ferry Ride
• 1 ER visit (6 stitches - he just fell while running through a park playing a geo caching game.  He was LOVING it right up until the fall - we went to urgent care in WS which of course was closed... why do all emergencies happen on a Sunday? Then to a downtown location which didn't exist despite google maps pointing us there, then to a clinic in a Walgreens... is this where our US healthcare has come?  In a lot of Bartells, Walgreens
  
  and other drug stores they have little walk in urgent care clinics.  They couldn't help us there because he was too young.  She called around to other urgent care centers close to us with no luck so off to Children's Hospital, which in the end was the best choice because they are so very good at what they do but it is no where convenient to where we live. He handled the 6 stitches like a champ!! 
• 1 trip to Target (0 Purchases - there is only so much we "need" and even less that we had room to take with us in our bags!)
• Dozens of play dates (for Benjamin it was mainly his two best buddies,  Callum and Oliver.  For Josie it was nearly ALL of her friends.  It was really sweet to see them reconnect as if no time had passed at all.  Her best friend, Elliott, was with her the most.  In addition: Ainsly, Eva, Ellis, Olivia, Grace, Nadia, Evelyn, Dahlia, Kyla, Kaylen, Elliot N, Ariana,.. I think that was it. 
  
  Oh and also a PEPS reunion of sorts with Boyan

  

  Taken when they were both around 2 or
  maybe just shy of 3.  SO SO cute!!

  
  
  
  (Josie's first kiss and boyfriend 😉) and Caroline as well as Jack, Cameron and Lola
  
  (who were visiting from LA)  She was never more than 12 hours without a friend by her side.    Marty and I were able to see quite a few friends as well. Not many pictures, though. 
  
  It is funny because there had been times when a year would go by without my seeing some of my closest friends.  Mostly after having two kids and just being less mobile.  But
  when I was home for just a month in between a year on each side of being away it gave us a all a bit more motivation to get together. So SO thankful for so many of our friends who came to us.  Who trekked through
  HOURS of notoriously bad Seattle traffic to visit with us or share a meal with us. I think only one of our get togethers took place outside of West Seattle.  SO  SOO thankful for our friends and family coming to us!!
  
• 25 pounds of raspberries picked and paid for (72 dollars worth!!!.)  Another 5 pounds, at least, picked and eaten off the vine.  We went, as per tradition, on
  
  
  
  Marty's birthday.  It happened to be the day after we arrived.  We were jet lagged and hungry.  Raspberries, ripe off the vine, never tasted so good!! 
• 6 separate kid sleep overs
  
• Miles of walking along Alki Beach
• Consumption of my body weight in chips, salsa and IPA beer.  I There were many days when that was my lunch and dinner. 
  
  Embarrassing, really.  
• Plethora of board games played
• 7 books read - all by the kids!
• Several house projects completed. 
  
  The renters took great care of the house however there are things that we normally do throughout the year that you really notice when  you arrive after a year
  
  away - namely yard work - LOTS and lots of yard work, windows washed, decks pressure washed among other things. 
• 2 family members moved to a safer and healthier living environment.  This wasn't even on our radar when we arrived in Seattle.  It all happened so fast and smoothly and Marty and I could not be more thankful - mostly to Liz and Ed who did nearly
  
  EVERYTHING.  Thank you!!!!!
• Many trips to Lincoln Park and Alki beach to fill up on seeing, smelling, wading/swimming in salt water.  Man, I really REALLY miss salt water in Germany.  We have lakes but it is just different. 
• 2 Trips to the trampoline park.  Thank you Kristie!!  Thank you Amy!!
  
• Hours of Water Tubing Fun on Lake Washington with Draper-Kunz clan.  Thank you!!!  Hoping to see you on this side of the world sometime soon. 
• Countless hours of conversation, catching up and laughter with family and friends. 

The first weekend we were home my entire (minus one) family came to our house to share in many meals, lots of drinks and even more fun conversation.  FUN!!  Hoping to make this a yearly tradition.  We just do not see each other enough. 

So thankful for the time in Seattle.  We left with a bit of sadness but mostly excitement for our year to come.  One thing this past year has taught us is that the year goes by SO fast and that more stays the same back at home than changes.  We know from this past visit that we can really just pick up right where we left off.  Here's to Berlin 2.0!!  What will this next year bring?