I returned yesterday from my first trip back to Seattle since we moved to Paris. The trip was work-related and went from a Wednesday to the following Tuesday. And since it spanned a weekend, it also allowed me to mix in a bunch of personal stuff.
Much time was spent on packing a couple of duffel bags full of items that we intentionally left behind in August knowing that I would be back in September or October. Much of this was fall and winter clothing. It also included a bunch of items that are difficult or impossible to get here -- Best Foods mayo, peanut butter, ziploc bags, Miralax, baking powder, etc. Fortunately it all made it back to Paris in pretty good shape, aside from the mayo that couldn't withstand the pressures of high-altitude flight and somehow burst out of the jar. Luckily I had the foresight to pack it inside a plastic sack.
Too much time was spent dealing with the month's worth of mail that had accumulated. A few bills that I hadn't been expecting needed to be promptly paid and a confusing series of communications from Allstate regarding our landlord policy had to be deciphered.
But it definitely wasn't all work and no play. I spent the weekend up at Suncadia, went golfing with Derek on Saturday, met Mom, Dad, Ty, and Kyra at the Puyallup Fair on Sunday, and attended the now-famous Seahawks-Packers Monday Night Football game. Along the way I consumed Northwest and autumn staples such as Ivar's Clams & Chips, candy corn, Gravenstein apples, an onion burger, a Krusty Pup, fresh fair taffy, and a host of scones.
It was a productive trip from a work standpoint and a fun trip from a personal standpoint. It was great to spend time with my family and see my colleagues at work. But, that said, I really missed our new home. I didn't look around Seattle and say "I really miss this". Instead, I was so anxious to get back home to Paris.
It'll be interesting to see if/how/when that changes with my subsequent trips.
Much time was spent on packing a couple of duffel bags full of items that we intentionally left behind in August knowing that I would be back in September or October. Much of this was fall and winter clothing. It also included a bunch of items that are difficult or impossible to get here -- Best Foods mayo, peanut butter, ziploc bags, Miralax, baking powder, etc. Fortunately it all made it back to Paris in pretty good shape, aside from the mayo that couldn't withstand the pressures of high-altitude flight and somehow burst out of the jar. Luckily I had the foresight to pack it inside a plastic sack.
Too much time was spent dealing with the month's worth of mail that had accumulated. A few bills that I hadn't been expecting needed to be promptly paid and a confusing series of communications from Allstate regarding our landlord policy had to be deciphered.
But it definitely wasn't all work and no play. I spent the weekend up at Suncadia, went golfing with Derek on Saturday, met Mom, Dad, Ty, and Kyra at the Puyallup Fair on Sunday, and attended the now-famous Seahawks-Packers Monday Night Football game. Along the way I consumed Northwest and autumn staples such as Ivar's Clams & Chips, candy corn, Gravenstein apples, an onion burger, a Krusty Pup, fresh fair taffy, and a host of scones.
It was a productive trip from a work standpoint and a fun trip from a personal standpoint. It was great to spend time with my family and see my colleagues at work. But, that said, I really missed our new home. I didn't look around Seattle and say "I really miss this". Instead, I was so anxious to get back home to Paris.
It'll be interesting to see if/how/when that changes with my subsequent trips.
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