The Pacific NW USA Rodeo

We're back! I mean, we're kind of back. The Kita headmaster sent me this photo of Carmen at Kita yesterday.

So yes, we are still getting over jet-lag.

My initial description of the trip was a roller coaster. But after doing a little google map visual, maybe it was more like a rodeo. 

Anyone else see a bull? As a reference, from Eugene to the top of the horns would be a five and a half hour drive without stops. Patchy public transportation would be around double that. 

Our trip got off to a pretty good start. Flying with a 3.25 year-old Carmen was thankfully easier than flying to Spain with a 2.75 year old Carmen. We had a lovely overnight layover with Auntie Colleen in Denver. And then arrived in Eugene for a couple days of this:

Running around in the morning with Papa, napping in the afternoon, and then trying to get adjusted at night.

A couple days in, Carmen and I started coughing. In a pre-corona world, coughs were annoying but a relatively understood part of hanging out with small children. These days, a kid with a cough is the ultimate party stopper.  One of the main reasons we came to the US was to hang out with people. I knew it was possible that we would be coughing the rest of our three weeks in the US. Paul and the boys were planning on flying the next day. I called Paul and told him we should think about just calling the trip. After a couple of hours of sitting around in my pajamas crying with indecision, Paul convinced me to get back on the horse - ie continue the trip.

With a couple stops along the way to see some of our favorite people in the entire world, we arrived at SeaTac to pick up a jetlaged president and his equally tired handlers.

My initial idea was that girls would get over jet lag in Eugene and boys would get over jet lag on the farm in Sequim. Sadly we fell off the horse again here too. The combination of three kids and four dogs was working for no one. So we packed up the car and headed to my friend Lindsey who has always been there in my hours of need.

We only took one group picture and it turned out this professional. Those smiles are real.

This unexpected night with the Suriya clan was one of the happiest moments of our trip. It was truly magic after six years, and a couple more kids, to connect again. I was reminded that friends like these are family. Also, I was able to do in-person hard sell to have them come visit us in Berlin. 

The rest of our Seattle trip was full of sweet meet-ups with friends, a birthday date with Paul, and delicious, delicious food made with love by my uncle Karl, aunt Joy, and aunt KK. Another true miracle is our coughs chilled out enough for us to spend a magical afternoon with GG. 

GG was, and continues to be, the most boss Grandma. She first pulls out costume jewelry for the kids.

After a delicious cassoulet lunch prepared by my uncle Karl, she brings out cookies for all of us.

Then she proceeds to beat us all at "knock knock" or 31.

The next day we head up to Everett for cousin time.

All the bacon...

and the eggs.

On Easter Sunday we made our drive down to Portland for the other purpose of this trip besides visiting our people - clearing out our storage unit. Paul's parents watched the kids so we could have time to:

unearth some true gems

and then say, "Oh screw it, let's throw it all in the back of this minivan and deal with it between hanging out with our friends."

And hang out we did...

We spent some more time time in Eugene hanging out with family and friends and "consolidating" all of our stuff into four checked bags and two bike boxes:

Eighty percent of our stuff from storage is finding a new home with our friends Courtney, Ana, and Tadej moving from Berlin to Portland; ten percent is at Goodwill; five percent is in Luke's garage; the china and photos are with our parents; and the essentials...

have a new home in Berlin. Yeehaw.