Kiddo is in Town

Good day beautifuls! It is a roasty one again here in Seattle! Why don't we turn on the air conditioning you ask? We don't have AC! Yippee yahoo. So excited. At least it's not awful humid like NC :) Thank goodness for icecubes!

Anyways, two weeks ago my brother flew to Seattle for a week long visit! He landed at SeaTac in the late afternoon and one of my coworkers was sweet enough to cover my last half hour or so so I could go with Aaron to the light rail station and pick up my bro. We got Jayman from the station and headed back to our apartment to get him settled in. Aaron had to do a little more work from home so Jay and I hung outside by the lake for a little while before dinner. Around sunset, we went over to Gas Works Park to throw a Frisbee and snap some photos.

View from Gas Works Park. Sunsets are a beautiful way to end a great day.

 Thursday, Aaron went to work and Kiddo and I took a bike ride around downtown. Our first stop was the Public Market by the sound. There was a huge display of freshly caught fish (very appetizing to the vegetarian), tons of local artists, cherries, cherries, cherries, apples, and musicians. It was beautiful to see when all the action was going. I should also mention that the very first Starbuck's is right down there too so naturally we stopped by to see it but the line was insanely long so we didn't go get coffee!! We picked up a Father's Day gift for Papa from a local photographer of the Space Needle at night. Then we biked on over to the Space Needle/Seattle Center and had lunch in a museum.

Then came the weekend. That means mountain time.

I'll take this view to fall asleep to and wake up to. Beats a cement garden.

Friday, Aaron left in the morning to go hike in and set up camp at Melakwa Lake. After work, Jason and I headed out to the trailhead and hiked the 5 miles, 2300 foot gain to where Aaron set up camp. We relaxed and enjoyed a fire for the night. Then Saturday was the exciting day! We woke up, had breakfast, and then started the hike to the summit of Kaleetan Peak (2 miles, 1760 foot gain). We followed a steep trail, up to Point 5700, down and around another peak, and then a third class scramble to the summit. Kiddo was incredibly fond of that!! Just ask him! We got some summit selfies, ate some food, and then hiked back to camp. We tore down camp, packed our bags, and hiked back to the car. Enjoy these beautiful photos!

Point 5700 gives you this beautiful view of a cairn and Mount Rainier. Don't mountains make you feel like Earth is the most beautiful living canvas? 

Some other peaks piercing the sky.

The rest of the time he was here, I was working a lot so we went out to dinner a few times, and just chilled in the evenings. Sunday we took him to Kerry Park to get the beautiful view of Rainier and Space Needle at sunset while enjoying Molly Moon Ice Cream! We had a great time and I cannot wait to see my little brother again :)

Y'all know how tough of a decision I made when I decided to stop my graduate program and move to Seattle. I can say with 100% certainty that that was the absolute best decision I have ever made in my life. Yes, I am looking into Master's programs in Washington and am hoping to be back in a program in a year or so. But every weekend that Aaron and I disappear into the mountains, I am reminded that I live in one of the most beautiful places on Earth, the Pacific Northwest. My stresses fade, I don't have worries (besides that I don't have enough time to climb all the peaks and routes I want), and I am happy. I will never, forever, regret my decision to move to Seattle when I did. I love this place.

My guys right before they jumped in the ever so chilly lake!