Summer is here and that means Summer Olympics, but more
importantly summer hiatus. Hiatus is that time when our production office
closes for a much-needed break. In the past this has meant flying to visit
family, usually coupled with ample downtime in Los Angles. By downtime, I mean
cleaning & organizing mixed with time with friends. This year has been very similar, only
with a slight variation… my niece was baptized (so now I’m a godmother) and I’m
traveling! Once emerging from the woods after surgery & not too far after
my first post-surgical half marathon, I made a TO DO LIST. I do not accept the
term “bucket list,” and have actually renounced this label. A “To Do List” is
so much perkier and far more accurate, especially because I am not dying any
more than the next.
After spending a few short days in Connecticut, it was off
to the Pacific Northwest. What originally was going to be a quick 8 day trip quickly
blossomed into a full fledge adventure. The more people I spoke to, the more I
was encouraged to maximize my hiatus. I spent the first 2.5 days in Seattle
visiting a friend I’ve had since I was 11. I stayed with him (Jeff) and his
fiancé- we walked nearly everywhere. I thought Los Angeles was fit, but those
in Seattle have us beat. Seattle
has hills that rival San Francisco, & I’m told the winters are milder and a
good hike is a short car drive away.
Jeff has always been a tremendous supporter of mine. Despite me being shy through all of junior high and high school, Jeff was there. Had I
been brave, I would have opened up, but even opening up to friends was
difficult. When I was in the hospital, Jeff was one of the first friends to
reach out, show support and give me rounds of the encouragement I needed to
heal. I am so happy that even
though we live in different states we have become closer, and I am no longer
afraid to discuss things that friends discuss.
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| Lake Serene in the Cascade Mountains |
When Jeff has had to travel to Los Angeles for business, he
has made a point of reaching out to me & making sure we connect. I have
been looking forward to being able to see him in his neighborhood. Jeff and I
were on track together- and I knew that he had become an avid hiker.
I only knew about the Olympics in
Washington, mainly because of the National Parks series that Ken Burns did.
When I suggested a hike in the Olympics, Jeff countered with a hike in the
Cascades, where we can spend more time on the trail and less time in the
car.
After sleeping in and a
breakfast of pastry from
Bakery Nouveau, we set off for the tail head. The air was crisp
and as is customary with Seattle in August, it was clear. We hiked 3.5 miles in
past moss-covered trees that looked like something out of
"The Dark Crystal," past a waterfall where Jeff startled a hiker so much, she screamed for a solid
2-seconds, and up numerous flights of stairs. One would think the stairs would
be no big deal, but after trying to maintain balance on slick rocks crossing
rivulets and having moderate double vision
(more from the amount of visual information I was trying to
process and less from fatigue) while trying to keep your footing quads and
glutes were aching.
Jeff, who
stands nearly a foot taller than me and has more hiking experience, did not
lead us at any break neck pace, & made sure we had time for water and rest
our knees. Still, I thought we hustled, but it took us nearly 3 hours to reach
our destination of
Lake Sere. And, serene it was. We dined on turkey sandwiches
on fresh baguettes, taking in the beauty of the lake and the surroundings.
Like most endurance activities with friends, it always is a
time to be introspective and share things you may not necessarily share in
daily life. It was comforting to talk with Jeff about the successes I’ve had and
share some setbacks I’ve experienced. As Jeff has always done, he gave the
encouragement and reassurance, all in the right doses… reminding me that what
I’m doing to stay in shape & stay positive. Staying positive is sometimes
easier said then done with the incredible residual shrinking and growing brain
tumor, but getting out in nature with friends and getting the blood pumping on
a run or hike is a great way to bring my mind back to being thankful and living
life to the utmost fullest.
