I’ve been back in Seattle for a month now, and one question I’ve gotten a number of times is, “is it weird to be back?” Besides the fact that I’ve living with my parents rather than my old apartment, I’ve basically just gone back to my old Seattle life. I’ve been hanging out with my regular crowd of friends, interning at MOHAI, and even singing with my old choir. It should feel weird, but instead seems quite normal. In fact, it sometimes feels like New York was a strange dream. I think to myself “hey, wait…didn’t I move to the east coast and start grad school?”
Part of me is concerned that I won’t be ready to leave Seattle. I have so many things that I want to do and hours of quality time I have yet to spend with people here. So, recently I’ve been trying to keep a running list of things that I am excited to get back to.
1. Egg Bagels. Egg Bagels Everywhere.
About a week ago I spent the night on the couch at my old apartment (see comments below about the bus system and not wanting to go home late at night). Having had a bit to drink, and knowing that I would be hung over and hungry the next morning, I feel asleep dreaming of the perfect breakfast snack. For whatever reason, I decided that when I woke up I needed to eat a bagel with cheese and egg on it. But when I did actually wake up, I couldn’t think of where to find such a thing. Of course in New York, if there isn’t a place with bagels on your block, the bagel and coffee street vendor is sure to show up in your hour of need. Plus, in a rare exception to the “New York is expensive” rule, said shop or cart will probably only charge you $1.99 for putting an egg on a bagel. I realized that there was a Noah’s Bagels on Capitol Hill, but I also remembered that a bagel with something other than butter on cream cheese would probably cost around $5. So, at the intersection of exhausted and irrational, I woke up wanting to scream “WHY ISN’T THERE A CART FULL OF EGG BAGELS RIGHT OUTSIDE THIS DOOR?”
2. Litter-trained kitties!
One thing I have not posted much about yet is the fact that in late November two cats moved into my apartment. They were previous resident’s of my roommate’s father’s house, and John had told me they were coming before I moved in. Lulu is just past middle age, and Coco is well into retirement. They stroll leisurely around the apartment rather than scampering or stalking, and sleep determinedly in the same spots day after day. Whenever one of them was on my lap or purring nearby, I would think about how happy I was to have cats in my life. Then the moment would end when I would get a whiff of poop from the adjoining room.
Coco and Lulu were previously outdoor/indoor cats that apparently did most of their business outdoors. John was aware that litter training might be an issue for them, and sure enough it was. Coco got it right most of the time, but Lulu just cycled through a few favorite spots in John’s room. Between keeping my bedroom door closed and watching where I stepped, I managed to avoid any physical contact with their various gifts. Even so, the smell made life difficult. No matter how much you love cats, when you come home after a long day your heart does not leap for joy to be greeted by the scent of poop. John assured me that this was still a trial period, and if the cats couldn’t learn better habits they would go back to their previous home. I was torn on whether or not I hoped they would go. I was obsessed with cats as a child, and firmly believe that “crazy cat lady” will describe me in my later years. How could I possibly prefer living without cats to living with cats? But, the reality was that I was spending a lot of time in my room hiding from the smell.
Before I left, John announced that he would use my absence to try a few things and see if he couldn’t turn the situation around. He informed me that he was in contact with a “litter expert” who specialized in this kind of thing. I begged to know if this person had business cards or letterhead that said “litter expert.” Personalized stationary or not, the "litter expert" must be the real deal. I’ve heard twice now from John to say that the cats are joyfully making excrement deposits in all the proper places. I hope this is true, and am excited to spend a new semester enjoying more benefits than downsides to cat companionship.
3. A comprehensive city-wide subway system.
Look, Seattle busses really aren’t that bad, and my experience with the NY subway system has proven it isn’t perfect either (my main line in and out of Manhattan is the aptly named F train, which enjoys stopping in the tunnel for no reason and closing on weekends). My biggest frustration with the Seattle busses has been service at night. After the evening rush hour many busses stop running or only show up every hour. Plus, in order to get to my parent’s house I have to transfer in the U. District, which is sketchy once the sun goes down. Even if it wasn’t the U. District, I don’t relish the idea of waiting for a bus on some lonely street corner late at night.
In New York, the subways run less frequently at night, but they never stop service. In fact, I think that more people ride the subway at 2am than 2pm. Once you get on the train that will take you home, there is something strangely comforting about the subway. I like how it rocks slowly back and forth as I count down the remaining stops. If I can, I get a spot where I can gaze out the window. My train goes above ground for two stops. On one side you get a view of downtown Brooklyn and a few of the tallest points in Manhattan. On the other side is a glimpse of the water and the Statue of Liberty. Day after day, I still haven’t gotten tired of the view. For some reason it reminds me more than anything: “Wow, I live in New York.”
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