Settling in Seattle...

   Now that we're here and are finally starting to settle down, I thought it was time for another blog post.  :)
 
   Joe and I started our time here settling into an extended stay hotel room with a small kitchen (which provided all the absolute kitchen essentials 2 people need) and sitting area along with the usual bed and bathroom associated with all hotels.  We started to get the lay of the land as we immediately took off on a house hunting excursion. 

   We had a viewing for a house booked the same day we arrived in Seattle at 7:30PM.  Upon driving through the area, actually seeing the house and then walking the neighborhood with Bear, we decided to go ahead and cancel the walk through.  Moving is tough.  Moving to a new area is tough.  Moving to a new city on a different side of the country where you really have no idea of what most of the very different (and eclectic) neighborhoods are like is tough.  We then spent the rest of the evening driving to different houses we had seen posted on Craig's List for rent (or trying to) and decided that there are some areas of Seattle we definitely like and some that we would rather not live in. 

   Alki beach/ North Admiral is still one of my favorite areas of Seattle.  Unfortunately, the commute for Joe (and potentially for me as there are not many schools on Alki) is pretty steep.  Part of the reason we wanted to move away from NOVA was the long/stressful commutes the area is so well known for.  So Alki, while lovely, isn't a shoe-in.  Some other areas we really like include the University area (which is near University of Washington), Beacon Hill (which is sort of central to everything) and the Woodland/Green lake area down by the zoo.  One area that we've decided to forgo is anything next to the northern end of Aurora Avenue.  Sure, it sounds lovely, but when the nicest looking building on the street is the Taco Bell, it's bound to disappoint.  Thankfully, that section of Aurora Ave. is not the typical look for Seattle, so our house hunting is mostly continuing in more aesthetically pleasing areas.

   Joe and I are thrilled at the amount of things to do here in Seattle.  I'm sure that could be said for any major city and for NOVA, but the fact that Joe and my interests are so diverse means that it can be hard for us to find one area that has everything we're looking for.  Seattle and its surrounding areas have a thriving Jujitsu/ martial arts culture for Joe and I've found a therapeutic riding barn and a bunch of sewing shops that offer classes.  :)  We can't wait until we can get into a more normal routine and then start adding our hobbies to the mix!




 *Warning: Sentimental Area of Blog Approaching*

  I just want to take a moment to thank all of our friends and family that have offered us advice, support and places to crash throughout this journey.  Joe and I feel incredibly loved and fortunate to have such wonderful people in our lives.  <3