My bags are packed, I'm ready to go...

I'm leaving on a jet plane! Fun fact - Leaving On a Jet Plane was #2 on my list of songs sure to make me cry at closing campfire during my summers at Camp Namanu. Yeah, I was that camper. My bags are packed, my work presentation is complete, and my Farewell Tour has come to an end. 6:30am (woooooo) tomorrow, I'll be wheels up for Hotlanta.

 

Thus is why apologize for the delay, but I am finally posting my update on my Seattle/ Portland Farewell Tour 2013. Since that 4 o'clock wake-up is calling my name, I thought I'd keep this short and sweet and simply highlight the good stuff. I'm sure you don't care to know that I started and have completed nearly half of New Girl Season 1 on Netflix... but if you do, I have.

 

I arrived in Seattle on Sunday evening after a glorious 5 hour drive (I ♥ traffic). After settling in at the Sunny Studio with Jessica we talked game plan for the week. Here's the play-by-play:

 

1. Monday morning quality time with my favorite nanny gals! American Girls, trampoline - what could be better. I'm really going to miss watching them grow, but it sounds like they're great as ever and I am excited to stay updated on what this next year holds for them.

2. Monday happy hour with my Year Up Puget Sound ladies - got filled in on the latest office happenings and recruited to help fill my previous internship position. Speaking of - any undergrads looking for an internship next year in Seattle, hit me up!

3. Post happy hour ice cream date at Full Tilt with my little Diamond and then a long chat at the apartment. Jessica also surprised me with one of the most thoughtful gifts I have received:



A monogrammed, personalized pillowcase. I may not be in the same bed, or even the same state, every night but this way I will always have something familiar while I travel!

4. Tuesday lunch with my Panhellenic Advisor Krista in Ballard. I had my second hamburger post-vegetarianism, and took in some much appreciated career advice in the field of Student Affairs. Which led me to go home and research grad schools for an hour - I feel so old.



Lil' Woody's burger in Ballard - delish.

 

5. Tuesday evening impromptu gathering of a good 25% of Alpha Class '09. I was so excited to see Lauren and Megan's new apartment in Queen Anne, as well as Jenna, Catherine, Hannah, Dolly and Katie - who had just gotten home from Africa! We all exchanged job updates, year plans and commuting horror stories. Again - so. old. We then walked down the hill to grab dinner, and ended up at this little taco bar with a beautiful sunset view.

 

6. Wednesday afternoon Jessica and I dedicated to accomplishing something on my Seattle take-off list. We decided on the Fremont Troll - somehow in our entire 4 years in Seattle, neither of us had ever been!

 

7. Wednesday night we rallied the troops for a last run on The Ave in all its glory.  

 

This was definitely the grand finale of the Farewell Tour. I was overwhelmed by the effort my friends made to see me off, and it made me realize what quality people I was lucky enough to surround myself with during my college career. I feel comfortable leaving knowing that I made relationships that are built to last, I sincerely hope they do. Ya'll know who you are - thank you. From the bottom of my heart thank you, for making me feel so loved and for being there to cheer me on. Keep in touch.

Come Thursday I said some of my last (and hardest) goodbyes, packed up, and hit the road back to Portland. Since I've been home it's been a whirlwind of shopping, packing, and Prezi-making (and so it begins). I spent a great afternoon with my family, and enjoyed the warm summer evening with O, L, and S. S brought me VooDoo doughnuts - another check on my take-off list, and included a note and a picture inside. Something she wrote I really loved, and I want to share it with you:

 

"I've been thinking recently about how much post grad life is in similarity to our kayaking adventure. Some will fail immediately. Others will cruise along, some will get stuck on rocks for a little (or a long) while, and no matter how good things are, you will hit a tree. It is inevitable. What is also inevitable is that we'll all get to the end and be a little smarter than before."

 

Oh Shannon. You wise owl you.

 

So here I go on my next (metaphorical) kayaking adventure. Thank you to everyone who has both prepared me and seen me off as I go - this one's for you. I'm now going to try to get my roughly... 3 hours of sleep. Such is the life!