Falling into Washington...

Well it's official folks - I am a card-carrying Washingtonian. Not only do I have a state license but I even have car tags! (or should I say car "tabs" as they say here...silly Washingtonians). It took me forever but I must admit I was glad to get certified in the fall - it's been my favorite season yet!!

Everyone talks about the beautiful summers - and it truly was. However, something about the fall has impressed me even more: the weather is cooler, the rain hasn't fully started, and the leaves are changing gorgeously. Being the "evergreen state", I admit that I was a little nervous that I'd miss the changing of the leaves we have in North Georgia, but it has definitely rivaled the Blue Ridge Highway (mom, don't laugh - you have to admit the fall in that area is beautiful!! even - dare I say it - more scenic than here! ;).

So now for the rain: apparently the official "rainy season" began about a month ago (yes, it actually has that name and official begin date!). So how do I know this you ask? Well I've mentioned my amazingly awesome free bus rides but I'm not sure I've mentioned the bus stops... To do so I should back up to explain campus a little: we are in the suburbs of Redmond about 10-15 mins outside of Seattle and our campus sprawls out like a college campus: brick buildings everywhere - over 100 of them!!! We have shuttles that run between the buildings all day (mostly hybrids, of course) and there are grassy and wooded areas bigger than half of the colleges I've been to. In fact campus is so big that it even has it's own bus station - that's right, not just a bus stop (there are many of those) - but a bona fide bus terminal. So imagine a big high school with the bus loop but there are public buses and microsoft buses - from "short bus" length all the way up to the tour bus types that go out to the burbs. Since it's so big there aren't shelters for every mini-stop within the station - but I never even noticed or thought anything was missing.

Enter the day before the first official day of rainy season: I walk to my stop in the afternoon as always and I see these obstructive white tents sticking out like 2 sore thumbs in our beautiful campus. Picture a big white tailgating tent with 3.5 sides covered and a see-through plastic "window" complete with white plastic panes. I had to stop and laugh. Silly kids - rain tents are for wimps!! I literally laughed out loud and took a picture. Who cares if people are laughing at me snapping a picture - this HAS to go on my blog!! So here it is :)

So the very next day was officially announced as rainy season day 1 with fresh coffee, juices, bagels, and assorted pastries at our morning bus stop when we got off the bus. How nice, I thought, it is hardly even drizzling!

All is fine and naive until Erika walks back to her bus stop in the afternoon, and folks I have to tell you - I tucked my tale between my legs and crowded into the ghetto rain shelter I had made fun of just the day before.

You live and you learn....

Now if I can just find an official raincoat I'll be set!

Happy Autumn and don't forget to enjoy the sunshine for me!!

Love,

e :)