Happy Seattle Morning

I woke up this morning to the glorious sound of pattering rain. When this happens, I usually get super excited and end up running around the house, thowing open all the windows and doors -- I like to create the illusion of being in the rain, without actually being in the rain. And if it's cold, like it was this morning, I have to turn on my space heater and put on a jacket (or just crawl back into bed); whatever it takes to let the rain in.

I love the sound and smell of rain, and that nostalgic, melancholy aura that it produces. Most likely, it is a subconscious ode to the four years spent living in Seattle, where the phrase "partly cloudy, with a chance of rain" is all it takes to be a weather forecaster. A lot of stuff happened during those four years at UW, and my memories are jam-packed with crazy undergrad drama that ranged from the ridiculously great to the excruciatingly painful. But perhaps the one unifying theme was that, whatever it was, it most likely took place against a misty grey, if not rainy, backdrop. In many ways, the rain brings me back to Seattle.

Most people think Seattle == Rain == Depressing. But it's not so simple. Sure, it was annoying to have to wake up sometimes to the fourth consecutive day of rain or to have to trudge to class with the rain blowing in your face and your umbrella blowing inside out. But after awhile, you start to realize that it is the rain that gives Seattle its emblem of transcendent beauty: its true blue skies, crisp fresh air, majestic mountain view, myriad shades of lush green. You learn to not only tolerate the rain, but to also appreciate it. And on sunny days, Seattle is by far the most gorgeous place in the world...

Here in San Diego, it doesn't rain much at all. And even when it does, it's usually like this pathetic, wimpy version of rain, where it pours for like a whole five minutes and then the freaking sun is back out. Which is why today's long and fierce episode of rainfall was so, so great, despite my pants getting completely soaked.

My other Seattle-turned-Sandiegan friends and I have formed an unspoken new tradition. On mornings that greet us with rain or grey or anything reminiscent of Seattle weather, somebody is obligated to send out an email saying "Happy Seattle Morning!" as if to remind ourselves of our "homeland" or some cheesy crap like that.

And just for the record, for anybody who has ever teased me with the totally original and hilarious line "Why are you carrying an umbrella? Aren't you from Seattle?" this is for you: Being from Seattle doesn't make us waterproof or have some strange desire to get intentionally wet. It just means that we don't whine about it like the average Californian who is too superficial to understand the beauty of rain and throws a tantrum whenever they can't "work on their tan".

Um, just kidding? ;)