On Friday I flew to Seattle. I felt anxious leaving the kids behind, but my mom was so sweet and watched them until Abe came home.
When I got to Seattle, I met up with my friend, Candace. We had the greatest time reconnecting! We picked up a rental car and drove straight to the conference we were attending on female LDS sexuality. The conference lasted a day and a half, and it was incredible. Jennifer Finlayson Fife from my home ward created and lead the conference, and I felt sorry that I had never had the opportunity to get to know her better when I lived in Evanston. She is a remarkable woman with a very unique and compelling paradigm. We just loved everything she said.
While at the conference, Candace and I got to meet up with another mission friend who was attending, Julie. It was so great to see her too! We all sat together, and Julie gave the best comment of the whole conference when she pointed out how Eve’s decision to eat the apple was very similar to our own opportunity in life to exercise discernment and take responsibility for our choices.
The conference lasted until 10pm on Friday night, and after that Candace and I headed to our apartment right by Pike’s Place market. We talked for hours and also found our apartment neighbors to be very entertaining.
On Saturday, we went to Piroshky Piroshky and had the absolute best pastries I have ever had in my life. I think about them every day and can’t wait to go back at the end of May.
From there we wandered around Pike’s Place. Candace picked up some coffee for herself from the original Starbucks, and I got some crab from the fish stand. And then, because I was worried we would starve at the extremely long morning conference session, we went to a crumpet shop and ate crumpets.
From there we headed to the conference. We had resolved to be early so as to get spots on the comfy couch, but we were so engrossed in conversation that even though we arrived thirty minutes before everyone, we didn’t actually leave the car until the conference was about to start. Luckily, we discovered some comfortable seats by the window that no one else wanted because you couldn’t see as well. I was there to listen, so the comfy window seats worked for me. (The conference was held in the most charming house on the bay.)
Also…I haven’t gotten this blog fixed yet, and so even though I have other photos from the trip, none of the other ones will load. Maybe when the blog gets fixed I’ll come back and upload the missing photos.
Anyway, the conference broke for lunch and Candace and I went to pick up some nearby, way-too-greasy yakisoba and bulgogi. Then we headed back to the conference and stayed there until it ended at 5:30pm. The last two hours of the conference got pretty technical, and I was recovering for lunch, so I have to admit that my attention–which had, until then, been completely devoted to everything Jennifer was saying–wandered a bit.
After the conference, Candace and I explored the nearby beach before going back to town and getting dinner at a delicious French restaurant right in the market. We kept talking until way too late. It was just so great to see each other and catch up!
On Sunday, we slept later than intended and so only had time to go straight to the airport to catch our flights home. It was so lovely to come home and see my beautiful girls peering out the window and greeting me at the door.
I had a wonderful time in Seattle, but I was tired from all of the idea sharing, conversations, and travel that I spent the next two days sleeping in every spare minute. I finally feel recovered enough to blog today…four days after arriving home! 🙂
Here are some more pictures from the weekend, now that the blog is fixed.
