West Seattle's Best Kept Secret

I love love love living here in Seattle. I don't mind the rain and we have the BEST summers. My favorite thing about summer is laying out, swimming and getting tan. My biggest complaint about Seattle is there is no where to go swimming. Since it is only nice for three months (swimming weather that is), there are not a lot of public pools, and the one's I have found are indoors. And, the Puget Sound is dirty, I'm not about to swim there. Lake Washington is okay, but I really like pools. However, thanks to this guy at work, my friend Nicole and I stumbled upon Colman pool. I am in love!!! It is set right on the Sound with a huge clear wind screen so the view is gorgeous. It is an olympic sized pool, has two diving boards and a water slide, and only costs $4 to get in! ($5 if you want to go on the waterslide.) It was crowded, but not too bad. And, to get there you have to go on a little hike through the woods. Basically, the whole thing was amazing, and I cannot wait to go back. So, now this city is not lacking anything, at least for me. :) Oh, and did I mention this pool is only 10 minutes from my house? So, now I know the real reason people don't ever want to leave West Seattle. Haha :) That's a whole other post, but West Seattlites are different than the rest of Seattle. They NEVER want to leave West Seattle, they usually only go out in West Seattle, and while they may work downtown, they hurry back home to the safety net. :) We have our own parades and festivals over here, and it is just different than the rest of the city. Check out this http://westseattleblog.com/... we even have our own blog! Haha...I love it here too. I have been converted to a West Seattlite, and I love our little community over here! I forgot to get pics of me and Nicole until after we got wet, and then I didn't want to. (Me looking like a drowned rat is not that pretty.) Here are some pics I found on line to show how great this place is!

The trail to get there...

The pool and the wind screen overlooking the sound

I can't wait to go back... oh and it's purified saltwater instead of chlorine for a taste of the Pacific!

My Trip in Words

So... the pics may make it seem like I had an amazing time, and I did, but here were the things that happened that weren't caught on film.

Both of my cousins have boyfriends, so I spent a lot of the first weekend being the fifth wheel. It was okay. Both of their boyfriends are great guys, so it was not too hard to hang out with them all, just the ever present feeling of being alone. So, I was excited to see my friend Kate and hang out with her for a couple days.

Also, the most surprising part was the amazing time I had catching up with Kristen. I say surprising because we really weren't that close in high school other than the heart to heart we had one day under a slide while we were "working" at Roaring Springs. Don't really remember too much of the convo, just thinking, this girl is sweet and I wish I would have gotten to know her better. I am really glad eight years later, I have! :)

Some girl tried to fight me at a bar one night. She walked in and sat down on a pool table where my cousin and her friends were in the middle of the game. Hello?!! What are you doing? Well, apparently, I gave her a look, which I don't remember but I'm sure I did b/c really pull it together girl. She walked over and said something like, "What is your problem?" I was like, "Excuse me? What is your problem?" To which she says "Your face is my problem!" Oh, to be so intoxicated you can't say anything better! So, I said, "Oh, really?" And she said, "I don't know you and you can't look at me like that!" I said, "You're right, you don't know me, so why don't you turn around and walk away." She asked the standard, "You want to take this outside?" I looked at her swaying body that had clearly been overserved that night, and decided I would save her the trouble of falling over as she attempted to hit me (Plus, really, I may act tough, but no one really wants to fight, especially when you realize how lame it really is at 26!) So, I said, "I don't think that is a good idea, why don't you and your pajama pant boyfriend just walk away." (Okay, so I got a little rude, but I was annoyed. I also later found out that there was a pajama party nearby which explained the bf's ensemble.) She made me "cheers" to her glass. I tried to explain that I didn't have a drink b/c I was not hittin the bottle that night like she was, so she insisted I pick up an empty glass to cheers with. I obliged and it was over. Apparently, then we were friends b/c she started telling me how they got cut off and kicked out of the last bar they were at. I was like, hmmm, I'm not surprised! I started talking to someone else, and was happy to see her get escorted out by security a few minutes later. Oh man! This is why you shouldn't drink too much. You end up looking dumb and being a part of someone's blog. Haha...

That same night, I met these guys, and told them, "I'm visiting from Seattle." They said, "Oh, we can tell you are not from here." I was a little taken aback b/c I had blond hair and had worked on my tan. What they said to my, "How?" was quite the surprise and kind of a complement (or a burn to all the girl's he was referring too, sorry!) They said, "Well, you are nice... you smile...and you began a conversation with us, as if you are not better than anyone." Wow... so sweet! Apparently, girls there (and not all, my friends down there aren't like this, but I am assuming they meant single girls they meet in the bars), have "an edge" and just aren't very nice. Score one for being raised in Boise and living in Seattle now.

In general, the trip was pretty good, but I couldn't live there. It just seemed very unnatural. Fake boobs, cement everywhere, no grass, sporadic palm trees that have been planted to make it look better, did I mention the fake boobs? I hate fakeness and feeling like you have to look a certain way through surgery. I am all for working out, eating healthy, being healthy, but not using surgery to obtain perfection. What I have learned this past year of really trying to get in shape is how important it is to love yourself. If you look in the mirror and are forever picking at the imperfections, you will never be happy. I am still working on this, but this trip showed me how important it is.

I also learned how grateful I am for my friends. I am so happy with the people I have chosen to surround myself with. While I met a lot of nice people down there, I love love love my friends up here. Seattle is my home, and going on vacation without at least one of my friends was a little tough. Next vacation I am taking my girlfriends and we are going to have an amazing time... now where should we go, I'm thinking maybe Vegas???... and P.S.... Kristen... you are invited! :)

My Trip in Pictures

I went to LA last week to visit my cousins. Here was my trip in pictures:

I layed on the beach...

Got a little sunburned!

Met a guy with an amazing mullet... yes it's real!

Hung out with lots of new people, such as these guys

And Lindsey, who is so sweet!

I caught up with the cousins...

And met up with some amazing friends from high school...

Such as Kristen, who I love and hope to see again sometime soon! Seriously, if you don't know her get to know her. She is an amazing person, and I am so glad to have reconnected with her!

And Kate... the bestie from back in the day! I love this girl more than words and know we will forever be friends... sorry Kate... you are stuck with me :)

Went to Laguna Beach, because I am a reality tv slut...

Met Kate's boyfriend, Adam there.

Decided to squeeze into a phone booth with them both. :)

Took a pic of the old Beverly Hills: 90210 beach house...

Put my feet in the ocean... because it was a bit too chilly to really swim

Had lunch here...

With her, my amazing cousin. Erin, thank you so much for being such an amazing host. I could not ask for a better cousin, and I had a great time with you!

And all in all had a pretty good trip. I will write more on the specifics/funny stories later!