Second leg

By the time I boarded the tiny plane bound for Seattle, I had to pick my eyelids off the floor and drag them along with me.

The air steward making all the announcements, spoke in what sounded like a language very close to English, where you could ALMOST follow what she was saying, but not quite. Kind of like that scene where Mr Bean is is church listening to the sermon. Every so often 2 or the discernible English words came out together but then it was back to gobbledygook.
It wasn’t a figment of my jet-lag either. I slept for most of this leg and she was still as confusing when I woke up.
As we disembarked into cloudy Seattle, it seemed like people were standing watching us walk out before we even got our luggage.
People waiting eagerly to pick up their loved ones.
My heart sank. I had 2 or 3 old classmates picking me up. I had hoped that they would be on the outer perimeter of baggage pickup so I could freshen up a little with toiletry items from my checked luggage!
Well, they hadn’t seen me in well over 2 decades. I put my head down and slunk over to the side exit, hoping not to be recognized.
My luggage had long stopped circulating on the carousel. This made it hard to find, but I eventually did. It was lying off in a far corner set in with about 40 other bags. It must have arrived well before me, not sure how.

By this time, my friend was texting me to see if I was nearly through customs.
I hadn’t realised I wouldn’t need to do customs again. I bolted to the packed restroom, brushed my teeth and reapplied deodorant.
The weird feeling of years melting away coupled with unfamiliarity began right after the hugs.

Sweet, familiar faces- different life journeys. Our informal pre-reunion catchup happened at Ivars Acres of Clam.
I ordered the berry salad (salad greens with seasonal berries, goat cheese, fennel toasted almonds, vanilla bean vinaigrette) and the chowder sampler that included Ivar’s Famous Clam Chowder, the Salmon and Corn Chowder and NW Seafood Chowder.
The salad packed a punch. Goats cheese and fruit. So yummy.

My first taste of chowder did not disappoint. Lip-smackingly delicious
My favourite chowder, the NW seafood one, tasted smoky and rich with Alaska halibut, wild salmon, shrimp, clams, hard-wood smoked bacon.

I was definitely ready to crawl into bed once we got to my friend Lynette’s house.
I chatted briefly with the loved ones back home and slid into bed and into oblivion.
Until my phone rang at 3am. It was just my youngest, needing a password that a gaming company had emailed me!!! 

Who knows when I post next. The next two days are my class reunion and I want to immerse myself fully in the time. There may not be internet where we are staying either.
After the 2 day reunion, I am going to stay with my high school friend Sherry in Victoria, BC for a couple days before heading back for some sight seeing in Seattle.