I had a wonderful birthday. Thank you to all who made me feel so special!

My parents and Nick flew to Seattle to be with me on the weekend before my birthday. I’m afraid I wasn’t a very good host, as I didn’t know the area very well, and wasn’t very prepared for them. Furthermore, I got lost driving the five blocks to their hotel and almost drove the wrong way down Mercer. But we figured out things to do and see, and it was a good time. I was very pleased to see them all again. I had been feeling homesick, so it was nice to have three pieces of it walk through my front door and lounge with me on my cool furniture.

I wanted to do something on my birthday with my Seattle friends. I settled on sushi in Belltown, a Seattle neighborhood near downtown, with drinks afterward at nearby bars. I invited my friend Hallie and a few of her friends that I’ve met, my friends Dan and Tom from Cal Poly, and my friends Varun and Mike from work. I hadn’t hung out with Varun or Mike outside of work, and I was happy to have a chance to relax with them a little and chat. Afterward, we walked next door and a couple people bought me some drinks. People kept peeling off until it was just Dan and Tom, and we moved on to another bar for more drinks. I had a good time and I was glad to kick off my new Seattle life like that.

π