I recently went back to Seattle, where I lived from 1994 through 1998. I have always said there is no place more beautiful than Seattle on a clear day. I was fortunate to have good weather for most of my visit. There is something about the light on the water there that is like nowhere else. I’ve seen some amazing light on water – on the Costa Brava of Spain, in Seaside Florida, at Big Sur, on the coast of Turkey…….but Seattle’s light is luminous - it feels like it is full of shimmering water droplets (which is probably is).

It was a wonderful trip - I spent time with good friends; I saw a lot of great art in the galleries; I took a ferry to Bainbridge Island; I saw a play; I ate a lot of good food (cedar planked salmon, yum). Though I enjoyed my time, I couldn’t help but notice an undercurrent of anxiety running through me – the source of it was, I think, a somewhat sinking realization that yes, indeed, I DO live in a small town. I know that “the grass is always greener…” and I’m not saying I want to move back there, but I was humbled by the knowledge that being a somewhat big fish in a small pond is not always conducive to growth. Being in a Big City is kind of like playing a sport with someone who is much more experienced than you are: it forces you to play better.

I just needed to acknowledge my moment of Big City Envy, a condition that sometimes invades my psyche. But now I am back to this “small town with a big footprint”. Glad to be home, trying to be where I am, to put one foot in front of the other and move along.