Happy 10th Anniversary to Me!
I can’t believe that I’ve been a Washingtonian / Seattleite for ten years now! This is my decennial anniversary of being a Seattle resident — I can hardly believe it. I packed up my life in Tampa, Florida and flew across the country on 10/11/ 12 with a couple of suitcases and some hopes & dreams!
My gracious cousins were renting a home in the Bellevue area and were kind enough to let me crash in their spare room until I got on my feet. They were the best hosts, introducing me to their friends and the city as a whole. Every Monday when my cousin had the day off from work we’d go on an adventure together — whether that was going on a hike, taking their pup to a dog park, checking out a brewery that he wanted to share with me, or whatever. I always had the best time and it was so fun to be able to have that 1:1 time with him. I also truly appreciate their kindness in allowing me to live in their space with them for that time.
Three months after moving to Seattle I met my husband. It was a classic “met in a bar” kind of scenario with a few funny anecdotes that we love to share when we retell the story of How We Met. Our relationship has always felt “meant to be” and I’m so grateful that we met that night. Soon after we started dating he asked me to move in with him, which I was both eager and mildly reluctant to do. I definitely wanted to live with him, but I also felt like it was probably more responsible for me to experience living alone for at least a little while. I ultimately decided to follow my heart and move in with him and the rest is history (a decision that I do not regret!).
We lived in that apartment together for a few more months while we searched for a house (an investment that he had been thinking about doing for some time even before I came along). In June we bought our house and I moved for a third time within the span of nine months. 😂 We got so lucky buying our little home — the flippers who were selling it put it on the market during Memorial Day Weekend when everyone was out of town so, miraculously, we didn’t have very much competition! Our realtor moved really quickly, as well as our inspector and mortgage lenders and we were able to secure our house! It was built in 1906 and has so many charming aspects; it has been perfect for us as a young couple just starting out. It was even the place that my husband chose to propose to me in a very sweet and intimate way. I love all of our memories here and it will always hold a place in my heart. If we ever decide to move I’ll share more details, but for privacy reasons I don’t share much now.
Over the years we have had the best time exploring our city, having so many romantic date nights, and enjoying fun times with our friends. As they say, time flies when you’re having fun! Movies at Cinerama, taking in sporting events at the stadiums in SoDo, taking our basset hound Herbert to our favorite local off-leash dog park, dining and drinking at our favorite haunts as well as trying new spots as they arrived on the scene… always out and about!
If you are in the area or planning a visit to Seattle, this is my list of recommendations after a decade of exploring.
We were also married in Seattle! It just felt right for us because it’s not only where we live, but where we both chose to live as adults, moving away from our childhood hometowns; plus, we love our city! If you’d like more details on our wedding (such as the vendors we used) you can find everything here.
I have had 6 jobs since I moved to Washington… in hospitality, retail, banking, the medical field, as an admin for a startup, and now as a full-time mama! I appreciate my experiences with each one of those jobs because I’ve gained valuable life skills from each of them so even though I’m not technically in the workforce any longer, those skills are still applicable to my daily life.
We added Sophie to our family in Seattle as well — it feels like I was a little seed that blew to Seattle on the wind and finally planted here. Now we have roots and branches and all kinds of growth… it’s crazy to look back and see how far we’ve come.
Thanks for being on this journey with me. Cheers, friends!
Sending hugs —
xx, Natalie
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