Home is Where the Parents Are

That's right! I went "home" to Seattle this past week. It was kind of weird because when people found out that I was going out of town, and would ask where I was going and I would say to visit my parents in Seattle, and they would always say, "but I thought you were from Provo!"

At the same time though, I kind of like it because it's like I am now having the "real" college experience of actually not just living outside of my home during college but actually more than 2 miles AWAY from "home."

Anyway, it was a good week. It's always good to see my parents. As they could or most likely already have told many of you, I'm not the best phone talker, and I never have been really with ANYONE, so it really is a treat to just be able to go and hang out with them for a little while. They may be a little "older," but they are definitely some of my best friends.

Let me tell you though, it was no relaxing vay-cay as I might have guessed or expected. I don't know why I actually thought it would be though seeing as I have had how many years growing up with my action-packed-trips-planner father. (I think that the Wimmers and any other family friends can definitely testify with me on this one)

I won't bore you to death with all of the details, but here are a few of the highlights:

SPIRITUAL

• Getting to see my parents teach their institue classes on the living prophets and a marriage prep class (okay that one, might have mostly just been pretty entertaining! PS You'll have to ask my Dad or the institute kids about the "Dating Stimulus Package" he has set up.)
• Going to TWO wards on Sunday. I being the little diablita (devil) that I am, sweet talked my dad out of attending the THIRD one that day.

EDUCATIONAL

• My parents took me on a little U-dub campus tour. Their campus is beautiful! I especially liked the library. They have a study hall inside that looks like something out of Hogwarts.

PHYSICAL

• There is a sweet running trail right next to my parents apartment so that made it easy to keep up with my training for the half-marathon (that and my parents bought me some really nice new and PINK running shoes). I ran 7 miles one of the days which is more than I had ever run before in my entire life! In high school I only ever ran up to six miles at once for basketball. So I felt pretty good about myself.


• Also, my parents (including DAD) have become pretty avid evening speed-walkers, and so I got to do 2-a-days a couple of times trying to keep up with them at night after having run in the morning.

DELICIOUSNESS

• We hit up the local Pho (pronounced Fuh) hot spot on campus. It was delicious! I guess all you need to know when ordering Pho, in the Seattle area at least, is to get a number 1 or number 2. The kids there say it doesn't matter which restaurant, it's always the same thing. It was delicious.
• Gelato. There is this place--the Botega--has the absolute BEST gelato I have ever had since coming home from Italy. Our favorite is the pear one. If you're ever in Seattle, it is an absolute must-try.
• On my last night, we went to probably one of my favorite restaurants of ALL time--Maggiano's. Gnocchi with pesto--enough said.
• Mom's delicious Sunday dinner--turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy and homemade rolls. I got spoiled big time.

TRAVELING

With it being the 4th of July weekend, not many of the kids were going to be around Thursday and the institute was closed Friday and Saturday, so Mom and Dad got permission to take a little trip with me for a few days.

• San Juan Islands. They were beautiful. We rented scooters and rode around the whole island of Friday Harbor. We made stops along the way at the lilac farm, a lighthouse where we got to watch basically a parade of orcas swim by. It was the first time I had ever seen a whale outside of Sea World so it was pretty exciting and there were so many of them and they were pretty close to us too. We also got to stopped to see the American and English soldiers' camps. I somehow managed to get stung by a bee TWICE though during our little scooter adventure. The first time it was just on my shoulder and didn't hurt too bad, but the second one flew right in over the top of my sunglasses and started buzzing between my glasses and my eye and of course in the process managed to give me a huge sting. Keep in mind, that I was also at this moment trying to keep from crashing myself off of the side of the island down the rocks and into the water. Yep, I'm pretty lucky I guess to be able to get stung twice in one day.

This picture doesn't do the bee's work justice. I woke up the next morning with my eye swollen half-shut!

• O Canada. We got stamps in our passports as we crossed the border into Victoria. We stayed at a beautiful hotel there for the two nights. We went to Buchart gardens on Friday morning and then in the afternoon hit up the museum and the National Geographic IMAX theater. It was a good day.

• 
  


• Port Angeles, Forks and La Push. On our way home on Saturday, we swung through Port Angeles, and the famous Twilight towns of Forks and La Push. We didn't manage to see any vampires or werewolves though so it was a little bit of a bust.

• Last but not least, we found this "troll" under the freeway bridge. If you look close, you can see that he has a VW bug in one of his hands. Random, but cool.
  

It was a fun trip, and Mom is already scheming trying to plan my next one out there. I haven't given her any firm dates yet, but I am sure that it will be sooner rather than later. Thanks for the fun week Mom and Dad, or "Elder and Sister Thornton!"