I love when I get to see friends I have had since high school. I honestly think that as you age you get more jaded, and that making friends like you had in your most awkward time in your life is not possible, or maybe I’m just terrible….either way I had been meaning to go see Kelly since I moved to Portland.
Kelly was the “Hero” to my “Beatrice” in our “Much Ado” production my senior year, we were both debaters in High School, and both are Ogden ex-pats living the Pacific Northwest. She gets me…and that isn’t easy, we can not see each other for a very long time and catch up instantly. Kelly lives in a beautiful wooded neighborhood in Olympia, which is the capitol of Washington state (thanks “Where in the world is Carmen San Diego”!),Olympia was where Kurt Cobain met Tobi Vail (a founding member of badass riot girl band “Bikini Kill”) who basically was the muse that inspired their breakout album “Nevermind”,and home to the most liberal University in the entire country. Kelly and her husband live in a mid-century home that has a nature park in the backyard, and edible landscaping…it’s awesome.
She knows I love a good farmer’s market, and I must say they are hard to beat in that department. Every kind of food you could want (Greek, Mexican, Vietnamese, Indian, fresh fish, etc), jewelry, art, live music, coffee, seafood, but really I should just let the produce do the talking….
The market was family friendly and all the vendors were proud and quite excited to show off what they had to offer.
The flowers were unbelievable, I had to touch them to make sure they were real.
I honestly was dumbfounded by how nice the people were, we went to Vic’s Pizza and ate pizza, had a few of their amazing local beers. A gentleman bought us a round of beers and they offered to make any pizza we wanted available by the slice! I guess it’s the urban setting opposed to the small town ambiance that radiates from every person in Olympia. Either way it was lovely, and it must have rubbed off cuz when I went to fill up on gas at my usual spot in Portland, the guy pumping my gas thought I was hitting on him, “Sorry, I’m taken” haha, this isn’t the only time that has happened to me that is why I am usually more introverted…LOL! Speaking about getting free drinks, I can’t remember a time I have been out with Kelly that the free drink offers weren’t pouring in….I guess somethings never change, even with four kids in tow! LOL!
Kelly described Olympia as Portland’s little brother, they end up with all the great things Portland has to offer, but the people handing it to you have a smile on their face…one of those things being cold brew on Nitro, we went to Olympia Coffee Roasters and I had a great cup of my favorite coffee invention of late…I can’t remember what roast it was but it was great.
Next we went to beach comb and check out the beautiful sound, we saw some more quirky stuff on the way like the “otter x-ing” sign, and to get to the beach you walk through what seems like a rainforest to me….gorgeous.
Even with the backache I had all week it was tough not to love Olympia! We barely scratched the surface, I can’t wait to go back for another adventure and see more of awesome Oly! Thanks Kelly for the hospitality it was a day I won’t forget!