Before coming to college, I had visited Seattle a total of one time. It was a quick turn-around trip filled with rain, wind, and tourist attractions. I knew I liked UW enough to move to Seattle for college, but I had yet to explore the city that would soon become my home away from home. For the greater part of my first quarter at the UW, I decided I liked UW, but disliked Seattle. The dreary weather and constant grayness left me feeling unmotivated and unimpressed with the city. But over time, I have learned to fall in love with Seattle—here’s how I did.
1. exploring new areas
I made an effort to explore areas unfamiliar to me, especially trying to take advantage of the great public transportation available throughout the Seattle area. From exploring Capitol Hill spots for birthday brunches with friends to trying dinner restaurants in Wallingford, exploring these new areas familiarized me with the big city and helped me find some new favorite eateries!
2. Finding new hobbies
Before coming to Seattle, all of my hobbies were outdoors, from hiking to swimming to fishing. So, experiencing my first winter in Seattle was rough to say the least. I spent so much of winter quarter indoors and often bored. If I did not have work to complete for classes, I’d be left with nothing to do but re-watch my favorite Netflix shows. My solution for this was simple: take up a new hobby, one that I can do from the comfort of my dorm. I made lots of art during the winter season. I painted tote bags and made little zines. I found ways to be creative indoors, while watching the beautiful snow fall outside of my window.
3. Coffee shop time
I, unfortunately, do not like coffee, never have and never will. However, Seattle and the U District are filled with cute and cozy coffee shops, so it is hard to resist spending some money there from time to time. I did some solo coffee shop hunting and have enjoyed lots of chai lattes and hot chocolates in the recent months!
4. embracing the weather
This one was the hardest for me. Embracing the weather. I have learned to love the days where it is gray, gloomy, and rainy. My roommate who’s from Seattle told me something that changed my perspective on this place. She said, “Seattle is the kind of city that looks better in the rain.” That statement helped me change how I treated rainy days. Instead of staying indoors all the time, I had a few days of city-exploring in the rain, which has made for wonderful memories.
There is something fun to do in every city and your experience is truly what you make of it! Once I gave Seattle a chance, changed my mindset, and became more open to trying and doing new things, I fell in love with this beautiful city. While I would never walk around with an ‘I Love Seattle’ shirt, I bring that energy with me through everything I do and see, in rainy yet wonderful Seattle, Washington.