Seattle, Washington

I cried the first time I saw Seattle. I was six at the time, peering out at a terrible blur of a city that seemed little more than a gray bruise on Washington’s skin: the murkiness of a steep sky, hemmed in by concrete, sliced with eternally-clogged roads. Coming from a sunny town in California, this sight was terrifying. I remember looking through the car window and seeing the industrial mess I would have to call home, and feeling like my life had just ended right there in the back seat of our Camry.

Now, years later, the tears have ended. My life in Seattle has brought an unexpected wisdom: I no longer see the trafficked avenues or the endless asphalt as the sum of the city. Seattle holds many gems--the booth-lined streets of Pike Place Market, the ever-turning disk of the Space Needle, and the whimsical chambers of the Pacific Science Center. I have sought serenity in the shady trails of Discovery Park. I have stood in boulevards on snowy nights, hands numb, staring in awe at the lights tattooing the skyscrapers, glowing like a prismatic galaxy of stars. I have ridden in the old-fashioned horse carriages that promenade downtown. Each experience, so uniquely Seattle, has made the city more than just a home to me--it has become a friend as well.

Of course, Seattle doesn’t just end at the city limits. Driving east, the highways spill through a maze of hills and forest. Before hitting the majestic crags of the Cascades, there are a myriad of hikes that would quench the thirst of any nature-lover. Cougar Mountain is crowned with a breathtaking view of the city and foothills; Lake Sammamish rests like a mirror among the trees; roadside fossil beds hold lure for aspiring paleontologists. North of the city is just as intriguing. Every spring, the tulip and daffodil fields of the Skagit Valley burst open with color, painting the earth in dazzling hues. To the south, Mount Rainier lays like an idle beast, beckoning with fields of lupine and alpine wildlife.

The true spirit of Seattle, however, lies in its water. Puget Sound rims much of the city, just as busy as the streets: sailboats and kayaks glide through the oft-gray tides; ferries drift between islands and peninsulas; occasional Orcas soar into the air, awing their spectators. Rain comes frequently, scrubbing the air clean. The water is the blood of Seattle, coursing through its veins, keeping the heart of the city pumping.

Several times, I have faced the possibility of departing from this city. While the prospect of a new life somewhere across the country is alluring, I cannot deny the sadness that creeps through me whenever I consider leaving. Seattle’s face may be scarred with excessive traffic and other big-city blemishes, but its soul reaches deeper than any physical feature. Seattle is sincere. Seattle is real. Seattle is home.

I have come a long way since the time my six-year-old eyes graced the domes and towers of the city. I still cringe when I see the “Experience Music Project” sitting like a crashed spaceship in the heart of the city, but one glance at the calm waters of the Sound is enough to fill me with tranquility. If my cheeks should ever be wet again from seeing Seattle, I know it will only be from rain--not tears.

Denise M

Submitted: Sunday 22nd February 2004, 3:25 AM

Privacy - Submit - Prizes - Conditions - Contact Us - HOME