Hate to bring this up again, but the title I came up with two weeks ago when I first decided I needed a scenery. Now that we've talked about the impending move approximately a billion times here, it makes no sense to talk about this. But like, this has to go somewhere, so here it comes. I'm pretending the last three/four weeks haven't happened at all, I'm kinda still in Seattle and thinking about bailing out on Boston.
Last year I planned to move to Boston right as the pandemic was setting on. We didn't consider it a serious thing that'd hit these lands, and I figured the stay in Boston had been long and sufficient and it was time for a change. Just as I finalized the logistics of the move, the pandemic happened, and well...the plans went down the drain.
This trip came in at the right moment, friends and family are there, the pandemic has made it possible for me to explore places outside my residence at great lengths. And other minor issues sort of directed me to Seattle. An exploratory trip to the pacific north west, if you will.
I'm happy to report that the trip has gone decently well, and I propose further study of these strange places and strange lands. A three-week stay was insufficient to understand how these folks work and live, and their relationship with the natural world. Despite their outward material wealth, they seem to show an attitude of nonchalance and dare I say 'mediocrity' not seen much in the east coast that they like to describe as 'chill'. It is unclear if I fully comprehend the meaning and implications of the term and its cultural annotations, but it interests me greatly.
A longer-term commitment to this place would be premature. There is not enough substance, or 'heft' as it may be to ground me here, moments in the Northwest seem to fleet faster than those in the East. Life doesn't feel like a tightly wound blanket holding your soul comfortable and warm but rather a wispy silken poncho made of spider silk that one fears could disappear at a moment's notice, exposing the self to the ravages of the deadly world.
With those considerations in mind, I have decided to do a short term stay in this place, at least for the summer. Enjoy the warmth, the company, and the traditions they have here. Open up with the people of the chiller coast.
This is going to be an adventure.
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