Yes, I know, it’s been an eternity since I’ve tapped on the keyboard – at least for RCG. I’ve now muscled past the one-year hump of living in Seattle, and honestly can’t say I adore it any less than I did when I first moved here in June 2007 from Naperville, IL. If anything, I have become too immersed in work – between full-time and freelance – and have not savored as much of the Pacific Northwest as I should have this past year, but plan to change that. Sometimes I ruminate on how I could have taken such a mammoth risk – moving from my cushy life in the Midwest to Seattle where I knew not a soul and had no employment.

It was a jump akin to something a person stricken by a mid-life crisis might embrace, but I didn’t have a carefully constructed rational for driving across the country and moving in with what wound up being an ideal roommate I had barely spoken to a handful of times, and never met. But not without diligent work and worry did things come together here. And so far, I have no regrets.

There’s something about the allure and challenge of finding another way in life that I could not resist. And sometimes when things are in disarray or not working out, that’s all you can do; grasp for that light in the dark, however dim it might be.

And if you peruse other comments on RCG, most notably in Dustin’s 10 things you should know before moving to Seattle post, you will find a plethora of people are yearning for a fresh change and new horizons to explore.

And I found that in Seattle, but now that I’m completely adjusted I would like to get myself involved in more volunteer activities and good causes. One of those I have already been involved with is Q Cafe, a nonprofit coffee shop which also hosts live music on Friday nights. So, bring on the suggestions, if you would be so kind.

My advice to anyone pondering a risky move is to trust your gut, even if you cannot completely justify your intentions. But also be realistic and ensure you have good chunk of savings to bide your time while you tread your way through what could be cumbersome times of transition. If I had put my move to Seattle off but a year, it would have been inconceivable. With the sinking economy, exorbitant gas prices and the floods ravaging the Midwest, it would have been near impossible for me to execute such a free-spirited move in June 2008, considering my situation prior to jetsetting.

As I enjoy Seattle’s picture-perfect summer, the following list is a small treat for all of you (some of whom have contacted me directly) considering moving to Seattle based on my experiences this past year, which I hope will give you a more clear-cut idea of what Pacific Northwest living is like.

A Snippet of Things I’ve Learned Since Living in Seattle

• Yes, it rains, but not as much as people will make you believe. Chicagoland got 50 inches of snow this past winter, which would have been rain if it wasn’t so cold there.
• The traffic won’t faze you (er… if you’re from the Chicagoland area).
• Many mornings are cloudy in the winter, but the sun has a tendency to pop out in the afternoons. The color of the sky varies throughout a single day during the aforementioned season, so I can see how it is difficult to gauge the exact number of cloudy days Seattle experiences. It can often be cloudy and rainy in the morning, but rain often makes way for afternoon sunshine.
• Snow is practically nonexistent.
• The bus system is extremely efficient, you won’t need a car if you live within the city limits especially. I still have mine, but primarily use it to make grocery runs or trips to the bank.
• Yes, it was still a bit chilly in May and June. Needless to say it is temperate here, but there were more than moments in May when I was envious of the humidity aplenty throughout the Midwest.

• Don’t believe every word of the Seattle Freeze speculation – sure it can be difficult to meet friends, but that’s not any different than how it is in most bigger cities. And it varies by age group. People stay to themselves, but once you get to know people they are as friendly as ever – and will want to hang out with you.
• If you live here, you play for Seattle’s team now, not L.A.’s or Chicago’s – so don’t whine or banter about how things were when you lived in another city. No one wants to hear it.

• People are more laid back here. Don’t confuse laid back with lazy though. People know had to get their work done and enjoy life without stressing the small stuff. My roommate often comments to me now how much more laid back I am than when I first moved here – a bundle of nerves and too susceptible to stress.
• The number of panhandlers? Let’s just say I’ve seen much worse.
• Take advantage of the summer farmers markets in Fremont and Ballard. Amazing.
• The wine and seafood throughout Washington State is amazing and you will never taste finer.
• Coffeehouses and espresso stands are ubiquitous, but choose wisely. The coffee roasts here are top notch. Well, it is Seattle.
• The time zone difference between the West Coast and the Midwest and East Coast bites if you have relatives or friends there that you chat with quite a bit.
• Yes, most people here are transplants, but your accent will get noticed. Take it from me, Chicago.

Part of me wants to stray away from writing this post, but I don’t want to withhold my nagging questions just because I’m a former Chicagoan. So many Seattleites have me snickering when I hear them lament about how frigid it is here. Makes me want to mutter back, “You have no idea!” Oh no, it’s in the upper 30’s or 40’s in Seattle – that’s nearly summer compared with what I’m typically accustomed to this time of the winter.

• Are any of you former Chicagoans or Midwesterners who simply revel in the warmth in Seattle?
• What are your thoughts on Seattle winters vs. Chicago winters? I love Chicago in so many respects, but the weather is extreme – times 10 in the winter.

My parents’ poor puppy back home can barely place her paws outside it’s so brutally cold, and so I’m trying to convince them they need to to fly somewhere tropical to thaw out since they are no spring chickens and I shudder the thought of them shoveling snow in such wicked conditions. 

Not sure how I survived so many winters there.  Take care, Chicago!

After being pummeled by relentless raindrops a couple weeks ago, and as the rain becomes more intermittent, I’ve grown to focus more on embracing Seattle’s warmer temperatures. Luckily, our home was impervious to the floods that left much of Seattle and Southwestern Washington residents feeling like drowned rats. Much of our office, like many, was forced to remain home to cope with the raging floods by siphoning sewage and filthy waters from their soaked basements. And although our townhome (with no basement) escaped the treacherous floods unscathed, the excess water and the damage it wreaked left me feeling rueful for others in our neighborhood who weren’t so fortunate. But in spite of the crippling floods, I must say Seattle’s weather (replete with ample sun breaks) overall is a cakewalk compared with the winter storms that wallop the Midwest.

As I experience my first holiday season in Seattle and with Thanksgiving behind us, I can finally empathize with others who do not have their families nearby during the most cherished of seasons. My Thanksgiving holiday was stung by vapidity, though I cannot say it never has been before, since I have predominantly worked several past turkey days. Though I did take comfort that with my family sprinkled throughout the United States, it was not as if they were hovered around lush, porous cranberries flanked by dark meat poking fun at my absence. However, I am heading back to Chicago (a.k.a. the frozen tundra) for the holidays on Thursday, so although it will be cumbersome dealing with the bitter cold, I am extremely excited to see friends and family that I haven’t seen in some time. Much of the past month my focus has been confined to work and wrapping projects for my class at Seattle University, so it will be invigorating to enjoy a respite from the daily grind, to spend time in the Midwest again, and see so many people I care about again.

Despite the distance from so many loved ones, I am enjoying Seattle and the eye-opening culture that comes with it. Interestingly enough, my roommate said how markedly different I am than I first arrived. My foot-on-the-pedal, fast paced tendencies that I toted with me seem to have abated and it seems my former scales of distress and anxiety have been shed, likely because I have somewhat adapted to the more laid back environment on the West Coast and I’m not tangled in a daily routine I’ve known for too long. Even I have noticed the changes within myself, and I’m not sure if it is just the change of scenery or Seattle, but I am much less prone to panic attacks and much of my stiffness and anxiety has melted when dealing with rough patches lately.

But although I am enjoying my new home, nothing will ever beat going home to Chicago for the holidays!