Late March was a perfect time to move to Seattle. Winter lingered on and summer was lazy to insist. You can feel the seasons changing. One day it would be damp and cold and the next bright and balmy. I found myself grabbing the wind breaker, instead of the winter coat on my way out. They said the winter is not over until July 4th.
Why move? It’s the right size, right timing, and right city for me. Working for a small company is so refreshing. Decision chain is clear and short. No more months of slide deck refinements, socializations, budget allocation, and, worst, political bargaining. I felt the liberation from of the decision making speed and the satisfaction of being impactful. I am, hopefully, at the balance point of maturity and risk tolerance. Lastly, I like a smaller city’s downtown and actually a cooler climate.
The foods landscape here is different. Starbucks defines the minimum quality coffee anywhere in this city. Most places serve intense, flavorful, and near perfectly made coffee. Beers are excellent. Almost all restaurants offer local draft beers and they are all well-made. My recent favorite is Mac and Jack’s, an unfiltered pale ale. It is not so bitter and a bit fruity. Oregonian and Washingtonian wines are good and cheap. A $15 dollar Pinot Noir is at the same quality as $30 in California, at least to this amateur drinker. Of course the seafood are fresh and tasty. Oyster and Salmon are the best and they cook them (or serving them raw) just right. I found steaks boring but burgers great.
I have not ventured out of the Seattle downtown much. For a rainy city, people are extremely active outdoors. There are more runners, bikers, climbers, hikers, yoga, dancing, etc. than anywhere I have ever worked. These are serious exercisers: they train for events and try to win. One of the co-workers is a ultra-marathon runner. He runs 50 miles (in about 8 hours) in weekends.
Everyone who heard that I was from California gave me this wry smile like I am about to go through a hazing process. Seattle’s summer is charming and her winter drives those unfit to northwest away. As someone who arrived in March, I may be fooled into liking this place. “Just you wait,” they were thinking. “And let’s see if I will see you next year.”
OK, we’ll see.