The Attempt to Start Trusting Myself

My goodness it's hard to keep up with these things!

I was planning on waiting until school started to write something interesting about teaching and my new school, but then Julia reminded me that it's interesting to focus on the little things about a new place instead of just going updates. So today I am talking about the attempt to start trusting myself.

Being far, far away from family in 2015, on the positive side, means that there are things that exist like Skype and Facebook and texting and no more long-distance fees. But it also means that I wouldn't just call up my dad when I get lost driving around. And, before you ask, no. I can't just use Google Maps on my phone because this is what my phone looks like:

Ok, it's not THIS bad, but it's still pretty ancient.

Believe me, I'm working on it. I've also been working on trusting my instincts more since I really don't have proper technology to rely on when I get lost.

Here's an example: If you look up the way to get from Issaquah High School to Beaver Lake Middle, Google Maps actually directs you to an elementary school near Beaver Lake. This happened to my friend and me. Thankfully, I was following her and she had a smartphone. Later that week, I was by myself and I realized that I had printed off the same incorrect directions. This might seem simple to some people. You go to a place once and then you know how to do it for the rest of your life. But, for me, I need like ten hand-held repetitions of things like that. But I told myself, Self, you can do this. Just focus. If you think you need to go a certain direction, then do that. And I made it all by myself. *self-five!*

But it would be a mistake to say that I'm cured. My navigational skills have not magically been transformed. Take the other day. Only having one car, I've been dropping Mike off at his school up in Redmond and then driving half an hour down to Issaquah for trainings. When my day is done at 3:30, I still have a pretty heavily trafficked commute north to pick up Mike. It's a pretty straight shot except for the fact that I'm me and can basically get lost walking in a straight line.

I was trying to get to Mike's school as fast as possible (without speeding) because we were headed straight to Auburn (south of Seattle) in order to look at a car. It was only supposed to take about 35 minutes to get there, but with 405 S already filling up, we were going to be cutting it pretty close. (Seriously -- side note -- who are all these office workers leaving at 4:00 to get home? Why should it take an hour and a half to get someplace because you are ducking out of your job early? Isn't 9 to 5 still a thing?)

For the sake of this next part, I am providing you with a map of a small section of Redmond that I was driving through. Feel free to follow along.

I was driving NW on Redmond Way and ALL I was supposed to do was turn right onto 202. That's it. Even though east of this area Redmond Way and 202 are the exact same thing can you see where I might start to get confused! At some point on this drive, I start to think to myself, Self, this is not right. I know it's not right because I'm almost home. So I turn around and somehow find myself on Bear Creek Parkway. I know that's not right. So I call Mike.

Mike: Hey are you almost here?
Me: No, actually I missed my turn, I think, and I'm not really sure where I am. The street said Bear Creek.
Mike: Yeah, that's not right. Can you turn around?
Me: I'm gonna turn on this street.
Mike: No wait. What street?
Me: I don't know but now I'm driving through the Redmond Mall. Remember? Here's the Guitar Center from that time. There's a pedestrian. There's a stop sign. There's a DOGGY!
Mike: Yeah, that's not where you want to be. What do the street signs say? Talk loud because I'm looking on a map so you're on speaker.
Me: There's a roundabout. I'm gonna go left. What is it? Um...76th street. Wait, what street do I want to be on?
Mike: Wait...
Me: No! I'm at Cleveland!
Mike: No, Cleveland is the wrong way.
Me: But I think I'm heading north, isn't that the direction I want?
Mike: No, Cleveland is south.
Me: Are you sure? I think I'm going the right way. But never mind, I'm turning around.... BEAR CREEK! NO!
Mike: Ah just turn down it and tell me what you see!
Me: I see...the mall! I'm not driving through that again! I'm just gonna keep going. I'm going around a curve to the left. Redmond Way! I was just there! We're going in circles! I'm just gonna turn around again. I'm gonna turn on...74th....Now I'm gonna turn right on...166th!
Mike: No, you want 164th!
Me: I know but I wanna try it. CLEVELAND WAY AGAIN!
Mike: Ok, wait, turn right on it then left on Redmond Way.
Me: Ok, I did that.
Mike: Stay on Redmond Way. Turn right on 164th. That's 202.
Me: THEN WHY DOESN'T IT SAY 202!!
Mike: It does.
Me: NO IT--oh, yeah it does. See you soon!

Sarah's Life Lesson: I should trust my instincts, but maybe not all of them and maybe I should print out the map instead of just printing text directions. Because, let me tell you, even after that whole mess, I have still missed that Gol-Dang turn every day this week!!!

First Impressions

Living in Bellevue feels a little like I am in Eagleton (the affluent rival city of Pawnee in Parks and Recreation). For one thing, we live three minutes away from a Lotus dealership; downtown Bellevue has a store devoted entirely to privately-owned drones; I've seen at least three Teslas driving around. And everyone's name sounds like it comes from money. For example. there's a city council election featuring hopeful candidates Michelle Hilhorst, Claudia Balducci, and Vandada Slatter.

Downtown Bellevue. Basically a giant, glassy shopping mall.

This is not to say that the people are in any way snooty. Everyone has been extremely nice. I'm surprised that I can't really hear any kind of Washington accent. However (and this is probably just projecting my insecurities), whenever I talk to someone, I'm convinced I see them glance covertly at me as if saying, "Are those really the vowels you are choosing to use to present yourself as a professional member of society?" I was at a technology training this morning, and as I was leaving, the trainer said, "Sarah, you moved here from Michigan, didn't you?" I said, "Yeah, how did you know?" "I could just hear it," was her response. So now I know that my students are going to give me all kinds of grief.

I've noticed a few inconsistencies in terms of what I was expecting the Pacific Northwest to be like. For example, it has been sunny every single day we have been here. I'm talking clear blue skies. One awesome effect this has is that whenever we take the highway (which we do to go almost anywhere), this is one of our views:

I mean, seriously. That's so cool. There have been a handful of occasions when I have asked if something in the distance was a mountain or just a cloud, and I'm not really used to the idea that it might actually be a mountain. 

Another inconsistency is that it has not rained once! Not even a light drizzle! Yes, I know that this month has seen a surprising lack of precipitation, but apparently the it-rains-every-second-of-every-day thing is a bit of an exaggeration. I've brought this up with a few people here, and they all get a little smirk on their face and say, "Yeah, we just let that rumor keep going." 

• Here are a few smaller things that I have noticed about the area:
• There are crows. Everywhere. Why is that?
• Everyone's car is pristine (no snowy/salty winters, I guess)
• One of my favorite quirks is the fact that Seattle has a ton of carpool lanes. But what's funny is that there are signs for a number to call and tattle on someone if they are using the carpool lane without a second person in the car. The number for the tattle hotline is 877-764-HERO.  Come on, guys. Be a hero.
• There are LOTS of spiders and not a ton or mosquitoes (connection?). We have a spider-bro living above our door by the kitchen. He's cool. He can stay. But we have a spider-demon living outside the bedroom window. Mike is convinced this spider is actively trying to kill him (no evidence of this, just a hunch). The spider-demon has to stay too, I guess, but only because we can't kill him and we might even need to surrender our bedroom permanently.