My past year(s) in photos. Welcome, 2011!

Note: This is mainly a recap of my last couple years for my own journal purposes so I have a place to post photos that I took of my adventures prior to the creation of this blog. It's ridiculously long, but I think the pics are fun and it encompasses my very eventful past year or two ... read or skip to your heart's content!

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So I just about read everybody else's New Years posts and I guess it's time for a short (or maybe not so short) one of my own. Wow ... what an eventful year.

First off, like A., I love getting a new planner for the new year. It's a physical "starting fresh" of sorts with the pages totally blank, the binding still crisp and stiff, the edges not quite worn down yet. It's the physical embodiment of the year ahead waiting to be written, literally.

2010 (and I guess the greater 2009-2010 academic year) was a really interesting year for me which tested my boundaries like never before and gave me experiences I never would have previously imagined possible. I switched into 100% online class mode (who would have ever imagined doing my entire Bachelor's degree online on full scholarship at ASU and graduating a year early?), moved to Hawaii for the hell of it, playing tennis once a week at the base of beautiful Diamond Head crater and learning to really cook a lot more, drove up the entire Pacific coastline on Highway 1 (one of my life dreams) on our move up to Seattle ... but most of all, I learned to just mellow out.

I can be high strung, an obsessive planner, extremely type-A ... but over the years having moved from Ahwatukee's bubble to downtown Phoenix, to Hawaii, and now to Seattle, there were many barriers that I've overcome. I've also learned that having planned everything doesn't mean that I am in control of what happens. Cockroaches still find a way into your cabinets no matter how high up you live or how clean your apartment is in Hawaii, so you learn to deal with it if you want to live on a tropical island.

Nobody I know is better at seeing the opportunities in what may appear as a defeat than Ian, so maybe over the last couple years that's been rubbing off on me. I've learned to find all the ways to say "yes" before simply saying "no", to see the small victories just as importantly as the larger ones (since the smaller ones help you get to where you're going as well).

2010 also saw me get rid of my car - B. is putting it to better use now in Phoenix. The logistical annoyance of having to spend $3,000 to ship my car to Hawaii (and it arriving a month later) led me to say "forget it". I had a moped in Honolulu which was so fun, but moving here to Seattle I've gone one step further and become a full-time pedestrian. It's incredible how much more you see in life when you just slow down. Plus, walking is just plain healthier - both from an exercise standpoint, but also from the fact that car accidents kill and injure more people than anything else. I think because they're around everywhere, we don't really put that into perspective. To me, just being able to slow down enough to see that giant mushroom growing under the tree by the public library (I wonder if it's still there?) brings me enough joy to remind myself how happy I am as a pedestrian in life's winding path.

Anyhow, enough rambling - here is my 2009-2010 in pictures. I guess it's my own "bildungsroman" of sorts, whereby each step of the way my personality has changed bit by bit for the better:

First up, downtown Phoenix. Leaving the Ahwatukee bubble where I grew up was eye-opening. I took on new responsibilities (like paying rent/bills on time! and cooking so I could eat!), but also had the time and space to explore my own interests for the first time like...

Gardening edibles! Even on our little balcony in Phoenix, I managed to grow some morning glories, herbs, and tomatoes

Growing a garden first-hand also brought me a newfound appreciation for plants (the whole seed to plant to flower to fruit process is mind blowing!), caused me to rethink our relationship with agriculture, and ignited my interest in learning to cook ... mainly because I wanted an excuse to wander over to my balcony to pluck herbs for lunch!

http://stylepeterson.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/metro-light-rail-phoenix1.jpg

I took the newly built Metro Light Rail from ASU's downtown Phoenix campus to the main Tempe campus (I had classes at both, just for fun, even though we lived right next to the downtown campus) and developed my appreciation for well-designed and well-used public transit systems. Then again, if we built our cities properly we wouldn't even need transit ... but alas, I'm on my soapbox again.

Where I grew up! Sometimes I really miss the warm, dry air

Having been away from Phoenix now for 2+ years, looking back, the dryness of the climate (except for monsoon season) is pretty incredible. The landscape is so drastically different than tropical Hawaii or temperate forest Washington.

But a key defining moment in my personal development must have happened when, at 10pm on the first day of spring break, it was suggested that we drive 2400 miles to Austin, Texas to visit M. I had never done "spontaneous" before since I was a person who planned every mile of anything. I made up excuses (what about the fish in the aquarium, the plants on the balcony?), but when B. offered to take care of that for me while I was gone, I was all out of excuses. So, two hours later at 12am, we were out the door and on the road to a state I never thought I'd ever visit ... the first barrier (my apprehension at spontaneity) was broken

Van Horn, Texas ... just past the New Mexico border. This place was literally one main street that was totally deserted - a completely dead town aside from a couple motels for travelers like us

The drive through NM and west Texas wasn't particularly scenic - kind of flat and dry like southern AZ. However, once you get towards central Texas into the hill country, it's actually quite lush with trees all around and lots of water springs and rivers. Driving at night into Austin, I had to watch out for deer and black ice on the bridges!

Texas Bar-B-Que extravaganza begins! We had a list of places to try, and our own "scorecard" to rate each place. Here we are at The Salt Lick just outside Austin, TX

Funky Austin, TX 

Slow, fire-roasted BBQ

Brisket and ribs. This was funny ... every BBQ place we went to served the meat with sliced white bread. Notice: no forks allowed!

I love this little roadside stand selling "Happiness" through plants, pottery, and art :)

Then of course, the islands of Aloha. We first visited Ian's dad during winter break and I had jokingly said out loud "I wonder what it would be like to live here and not just be here on vacation". Well, Ian found out my entire degree sequence could be completed online without interruption to my graduation, so having broken the first personal barrier of apprehension in the Austin, TX trip, I said "why not?" and we moved!

Of course, an orchid lei upon arrival at HNL airport

North Shore

Looking inland ("mauka") from our apartment in Waikiki ... ocean and beach is just 3 blocks in other direction

Besides walking, my main mode of transportation in Honolulu .. moped!

Papayas growing outside the apartment

Toads on the front lawn every night

Geckos inside every night .. they make a "chirping" sound

Eastern coast of O'ahu

Giant char-siu-baos known as "manapua"

Real coconuts in the coconut tree! haha!

Rabbit Island, east coast of O'ahu

Portuguese Man of War ... stings like a jellyfish, although technically it's not a "jellyfish"

Ali'Iolani Hale ... my favorite building in Hawaii (I love the dark stone). I think the architectural style is called "American Florentine" and it's only found here. The residence of the Hawaiian monarchy prior to Hawaii becoming a US state

Oh, how could I have forgotten ... we survived what was supposed to be a massive tsunami! I've always heard the sirens once a month (since they are tested at the beginning of each month), but we were woken up in the dark at 4AM ... of course it wasn't a test! Luckily, it didn't end up being bad although we did see the water recede a lot. Still, we had to gather provisions like water and food just in case there was a big mess for a while

Waikiki totally blocked off to incoming traffic since we were in the flood zone

Then, just like the same pattern with visiting Hawaii for fun and the moving, we visited Seattle for fun and ended up moving here as well! I've posted lots of Seattle pics before, but never of our drive up the entire pacific coast ... stopping at hot springs and berry farms, redwood forests, lighthouses, etc.

Shield's Date garden! I saw this place on Anthony Bourdain's "No Reservations" and since it was on the way up the coast, hey, why not!

Date crystal shake was really delicious! Plus they had hundreds of different dates in the store from all of the date palm trees that were growing the back

Strawberry fields alongside tulips

Further up the coast, Avila Springs, CA. We stopped here because Ian had been here before and it was a good resting point after driving a lot the past two days.

Berry picking just across the road from the hot springs at the Avila Farm

Each room has a private mineral hot tub with water from the underground mineral springs

Hiked up the trails surrounding the hot springs

Drove into San Luis Obispo (SLO!) for dinner

This "night trip" was really fun because we ended up visiting a lot of the places that Ian used to go to when he lived here ... listening to all the stories (like why he came to this Woodstock's Pizza place regularly) was so fun

Pismo Beach, CA

Rolling hills of the central California coast

Monterey peninsula ... tons of sea lions!

This is where Highway 1 along the coast starts getting tricky ... high up in the mountains, 20mph speed limit, heavy fog, and one lane in each direction (sometimes only one lane for both directions) with a huge drop down to the ocean on the other side!

Random rest stops along the road

Stopped to take a side-of-the-road bathroom break (shhh!) and this is what I came across near Big Sur, CA

Working our way up the coast now about an hour south of San Francisco ... Moss Landing, CA. Headed to Phil's Fish Market (Ian's favorite restaurant in the world and now mine too!)

Seafood cioppino, fried cod and fried oysters all with a house salad and garlic bread ... oh, and my cute bib!

Exit the back door of Phil's Fish Market and ... voila

Stopped for a night in San Francisco to visit a friend, and then off again towards the north!

North of San Francisco, driving through Sonoma and Mendocino wine country

Redwoods forest ... we are at the "trees of mystery" park taking the gondola up into the old-growth forest

These redwoods are amazing

If anybody is thinking about moving to the pacific northwest, definitely invest in a rain shell like the one I'm wearing!

We continued onwards to our next resting place ... Crescent City, CA in the way north of the state. Ian found a place called "Crescent City Motel" which was great! For only $90, included free wifi. But who needs wifi when the place sits directly on the beach filled with amazing driftwood, fog, and dozens of photo opportunities. Not to mention hearing the foghorn in the distance as you fall asleep...

Doing some old fashioned 35mm film photography with my 1980 Canon AE-1

The shot I was framing in the previous photo

The next morning ... the Oregon coast

Heceta Head Lighthouse

Hiking around the lighthouse

And then further onwards to Astoria, OR ... the oldest establishment west of the Mississippi and a fun, sleepy little fishing town. Right on the Columbia River with Washington State just across the river. The underwater currents are so strong here since the Columbia River empties into the Pacific Ocean that pilot boats (pictured above) are needed to guide/tow each boat that passes (pictured below). It's one of the most dangerous shipping areas

And finally, arriving at our new home in Seattle!

View of Mt. Rainier on a clear day from the bedroom window

Panorama of the city from the roofdeck ... I get this view as I walk to the front door of our apartment too :)

So this has been my latter half of 2010 and now heading into the first part of 2011!

I forgot to mention that upon moving here I've now also already visited Portland and Vancouver, British Columbia (going up again in a couple days!) both by train, as well as driving into the Cascade Mountains for beautiful snow and all the fun that entails.

I wonder what other adventures this coming year has in store .... actually, I do have one under consideration but I'll wait to post about that until it's more definite ;-)