Cityside- The Washington Files 4!

So I think last we left off, we were touring around the city. I love to explore cities, try new restaurants, shop, explore, take pictures (I know, you're shocked) and see the sights.  And while the city is beautiful, and I'd love to explore it more the next time I'm in WA...this may well have been my favorite part of the day. 

Ben took us to Golden Gardens Beach on Puget Sound. It's beautiful, active,  and the weather couldn't have been more perfect.

These two are two of my favorite people, and they're friends of mine going back to high school.  I was in band with Ben, and met Patty on a field trip when she bought a cello from a guy in Chicago who warned us about the demons outside his front door.  We remained close or got even closer after high school and spent late spring, all summer and into fall around bonfires having barbecues and sharing stories. 

 We're not all in the same town anymore- not even all in the same state, so just getting to see Ben again was great. There's something about being back in the presence of your close friends when it's been a while.  We had a little adventure getting *to* Ben when we got off the ferry, but as soon as I got in the car, I felt a sense of familiarity wash over me, and the city didn't seem so foreign anymore.  I'm really grateful for the kind of friend Ben is. We hadn't seen each other for over a year and we don't always talk too much...but it didn't take any words at all to know the relationship we had was still there.   Patty being there made it even better- just felt like a reunion of sorts. 

The park was perfect- there were a lot of people there but the feel of it was that everybody was just out to have fun.  Ben and I always liked to take long walks together, so it seemed pretty natural to be walking along the shoreline catching up, laughing, inventing strange creatures (I didn't forget about the HC, man.) and laughing. There was a light breeze, the sun was nice and warm, and you could make out the outline of the  mountains from the shore. 

So this isn't my best shot by a long shot...but I think it sums up how the day was going.  And anyway, when you're with your friends, it's not so much about how ridiculous you look.  The thing that struck me about this is how happy we both looked.  We were on the shoreline hunting crabs when I took this. 

 Shortly after this, we got in touch with someone else who's really special to me, the fabulous Ms. Wing.   She's a friend of mine I met through other friends, including Patty, and who became very important to me.  She's creative, wise, funny, and warm.  I was nervous to finally get to meet her in person, and when she got out of the car and hugged, I knew the friendship we'd forged over forums and letters and emails was just as strong as I'd thought.    She met us at Anthony's HomePort Shilshole Bay, which is a wonderful seafood restaurant that sits right on the Sound.  Ben came along, and fit right in.   We had cocktails, laughed and talked for way too long before we even opened the menus, and watched some people learning to paddleboard past where we were sitting on the balcony. It was a gorgeous night.

Seafood when you're right on the ocean was something I wasn't going to pass up, and I wasn't disappointed. I had a seafood alfredo with scallops, prawns, shrimp and mussels...it was amazing.   But honestly? The conversation, the wind in our hair (though it got cold) and the friendships evident all across the table were the absolute best part.

Towards the end of the meal, the sun started to set behind our table, and it was amazing.

I couldn't have thought of a single place I'd rather be than where I was that day, and it wouldn't have been nearly as amazing were it not for the company. It wasn't the end of the trip, either, but it could have been, and I'd still have been one happy camper. 

You don't always think about how much difference your friends make, but this day it was pretty clear, and pretty easy to just feel it.  So to Wing, and Ben, and Patty...

You made my day.  Your friendship is so, SO important to me, and I'm so glad we got this day to enjoy it. I hope there's many more like it.