Hello Huzzah

A Long Time Coming; A Journey to the West

This post about leaving DC and journeying west to our new home in Seattle has been a long time coming. I can't believe we've been here almost a month.



Leaving DC, our home of almost three years, was hard. Not because we wanted to stay- not because we didn't want change. But because it was an ending- and those are almost never easy. Leaving friends and family, jobs, and routines was tough. I'll never forget the excitement we felt when we found out that we were moving to the District--but we are more than ready for the next phase of our lives. We just wish we could take the people, our close friends and family, with us wherever we go. That's terribly selfish of us, I know- but I wish I could delicately wrap them in newspaper, beside my pyrex, or cuddle them in a blanket, and place them in the car with us, so that we never have to miss them. So that they can experience new adventures with us. We miss living our lives with them.


We spent almost 4 days driving from our home town in Tennessee (where we went for a short visit after leaving DC) to Seattle. Jared and I  with our dog, Icky, in our car and my sister, Nikki, and our cat Louie, leading the caravan in our Budget truck that we quickly nicknamed Barb- a Waffle House waitress with a smoker's cough. We used walkie-talkies to communicate and gave ourselves trucker names (which were truly great- but are for us to know only :). Nikki saved our asses when she volunteered to help us-she is the most caring and kind, selfless and committed person I know. The Louise to my Thelma- the person that knows me best in the world. She always knows what I'm thinking- and I know she's thinking that she hates that I wrote something mushy about her. But it needed to be said. I love you Nik.



I don't know if I can fully explain what driving/moving cross-country is like- but I'm going to try. It was cleansing. Freeing. Exhilarating. Stressful. Expensive. Long. Too short. Fun. Exhausting. Fascinating. Boring. There were moments when I thought to myself, in those rare moments when my puppy was asleep in my lap and Jared was happily driving or when I was driving and listening to audio books while Jared was napping with the pup, that I was the luckiest woman in the world to be on such an exciting journey with some of the people I love most in the world and I felt (and still feel) so fortunate to have shared all those experiences with them, in particular.





I hope I never forget what it was like to drive by the Gateway to the West late at night- Jared and I both punch drunk and excited like kids, listening to David Sedaris' When You Are Engulfed in Flames. Or the beauty of the sun bouncing off the snow in South Dakota and walking up to Mt Rushmore with Nikki. Dawn in Montana- the sun on the mountains- listening to The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. And the beauty of Idaho! Who knew? Or the last two hours, driving through Washington- the wind turbines, mountains, water and bridges.   I feel fine forgetting most of Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa, and Illinois. No offense--those were the longest, flattest, most boring miles to drive.






We arrived in Seattle on the night of the 17th- beating everyone's estimation that it would take at least five days (have more faith in us, guys). Nikki, once again, kicked ass in helping us move into our new place. In following our grand tradition of eating pizza as our first meal in our new homes (we move...a lot)-we walked to Hot Mama's and grabbed several slices of Pepperoni.


And then Nikki left. And it's already been almost a month. I can't wait to share more of what we have been doing here and the new friends that are making Seattle feel like home. More coming on that very soon.
Thank you for reading-
Janice  & Jared

Around the World

Saturday was PassportDC, officially known as a cultural event to celebrate international diplomacy. To the people that attend, it is more of an opportunity to drink/eat free food and to see the inside of the embassies around the city. And it is FUN.
We started off the day at Dupont Circle to pick up our maps and 'passport' (which was stamped at each embassy we visited) and then walked down Massachusetts Ave. Our first embassy of the day was Haiti, where we enjoyed rum punch (at 10am. yes.), coffee, traditional music, and the beauty of the building itself.




Our next stop was the Korean embassy- and that is where the cool kids were. They blasted 'Gangnam Style' on their outdoor speakers (they also had a cardboard cut out of Psy in the foyer of the embassy, proving that they have a spectacular sense of humor). They also had a DJ and traditional clothing to try on. We picked up some candy and seaweed treats and begrudgingly left.



Then we headed on to Japan, after a quick stop at the Embassy of the Republic of Coite d'Ivoire and a picture of the Venezuelan embassy. The Japanese event was much more sedate than the Korean embassy (and they had intense security) but they had robots. And serious amounts of free food. Also, the embassy itself is lovely and they handed out an abundance of free souvenirs.







The Turkish embassy was next (and possibly my favorite). Parts of the building were more modern than the others we had visited, but exceedingly handsome. We sampled Turkish hazelnuts, cheese, and apricots, and we tried on the traditional clothing (no, the picture of that WILL NOT be included..except for Jared in a fez..because it's Jared in a fez). But the BEST part was the animals; a Kangal dog named Aslan (I love him. So much. I grabbed his business card as a memento.) and also some Turkish cats who were not as giving with their love or as wanting for a belly scratch as Aslan.



I said goodbye to Aslan and we trucked over a few blocks on to Wyoming Ave to visit the Embassy of Barbados. They were HANDS DOWN the friendliest embassy of the day, with the tastiest beverage (passionfruit juice), and party taking place in the garden.


Alas, the lines were too long, so we hopped aboard the shuttle to the Australian embassy. The line to enter the building was gargantuan, but as were waiting, we were presented with trays of meat and gravy, vegemite, and cheese. It was all disgusting. But Jared enjoyed it. Once inside, we were treated to a wine tasting (serious yums) and temporary tattoos.




Down the block was the Peruvian embassy, which was the most popular (and populated) embassy of the day. The building is exquisite, especially that of the Ambassador's office. (Peru's was the only embassy we visited that allowed us to take such an extensive tour.) We tried their national drink, Pisco; it is for stronger people than we. They also offered a taste of Inca Cola, a cream soda-y beverage. Also, they had alpacas. ALPACAS, dammit. I like the embassies with animals the best.



And then we were exhausted. And there were so many embassies we didn't get to visit! Next weekend is the same kind of event for the European Union countries. Yay! More beautiful architecture and free booze and food!
And this is why we love living in this city.

Many Huzzahs,
Janice & Jared p.s.
I'm still trying to get that damn tattoo off my hand.

My Life in Vine

Three vines were taken at the South West Waterfront Festival, and the YouTube video is from the Cherry Blossom Festival around the Tidal Basin (more to come on that later).

Many Huzzahs,
Janice & Jared