My sentiments on leaving Seattle

Well, I guess I am not exactly leaving Seattle but my nanny job is moving from Seattle to Kirkland tomorrow. The family decided that their tiny home just doesn't suit their toddlers need for space and a place for her toys. And her sleeping area, man that kid hears everything through the thin walls. They bought a 3000 sq. ft. home in Kirkland near the freeway but close enough to the beautiful waterfront.

The first fews months of working in Seattle were ok. The commute was hard but I managed. It took me about 8 months to get used to the commute during which I put on a tremendous amount of weight that I argue sprouted from my extreme exhaustion from 2.5 hours a day of driving related stress. I was tired all the time. I had hoped to move into Seattle sharing the idea of many outsiders of "if you're going to live near Seattle, you should live IN Seattle at least once." But the more I got to know the city, the more I hated it. The election didn't help. Oh my what a horrible time to work in Seattle. Obama bumper stickers popped up on 70 percent of the cars. There were regular mini-protests against McCain, Palin and the rest of the Republican party. Cars were being assaulted and I was being flipped off. The beautiful city took on a doomsday gloom in the middle of summer. I hated every moment.

However after the election the rabid liberals calmed down as their savior had won and in turn, I calmed down. My feelings mellowed and I began to enjoy the city again. I became closer with my liberal nanny friends, no longer fearing that the topic of politics would come up and I no longer wanted the whole damn place to burn. I've enjoyed the parks, community centers, U Village, the Starbucks 5 blocks away, and Northgate Mall. I have been regularly seeing a few nannies for the past six months to a year and loved being able to watch their nanny kids grow.

Overall, it's been a fun 14 months in Seattle. I feel fortunate that my car never got broken into or vandalized and that I managed not to scare away my nanny friends. I was able to go to the zoo, aquarium, children's museum, and science center, places I would otherwise not have gone.

So here I am once again analyzing my love/hate relationship with Seattle. Yes, I hate the politicians and most of the people, but to hate it entirely would say that I got nothing out of it and that it was a wasted year of my life. I learned a lot. The commute resulted in me listening to talk radio, educating me on politics which ultimately led me to reestablish my conservative roots and, just as important, led me to the decision to buy guns. :) Working in Seattle also made it convenient to join in the Young Republican happy hour meetings which again, something I would not have done in the first place due to proximity. The commute also led to a better relationship with my sister with all the free and uninterrupted time I had to chat with her (but even with all those hours, I was still never able to convince her of the name Axel). :)

Tomorrow I say good bye to the city but not for good. I hate Seattle but not without a morbid affection for it. Nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to stay.

Farewell.