I have enjoyed posting the photos today because my post is of something near and dear to my heart. xoxo Last Friday was the last day of college for the year for my younger son, Elliott. I was excited to make the ride over to move Elliott out of his dorm at the University of Washington. I was happy to have him home again for summer break. You miss the sights and sounds of your children when the are gone. Another year ended, we hooked up our trailer to our car, and we were on our way to Seattle....
I know we are getting close to the college when I see the next sight...
My son, Ellliott, has always known what he wanted to be when he grew up. From the time he was small, he wanted to go into something with computers and video gaming. I think he was about six years old when he told me one night as I was kissing him goodnight that "One day, Mom, I will be going to school in Washington State. You'll be coming to see me there." Well.....we were living in Florida at the time, and I had never even been to Washington State. I knew it was as far from Florida across the United States as you can get. In my mind, I thought "What? No way! That is toooooo far!" But, being the loving mother I was and knowing there were several years before Elliott would be in college, I said, "Really? That would be nice. I love you! Good night xoxo" Funny how life turns out........... :)
Here is a photo of Elliott walking to his dorm housing building, Hansee Hall, at University of Washington on Friday when we picked him up....
I always say that "life is a puzzle....all the pieces fit together! You don't see the puzzle picture completed until the end....but, all the pieces fit. When you look at the finished puzzle, you think......oh.....now I see how that piece fit and why I had it." Life is a completed puzzle...
As God and luck had it, my husband was offered a promotion with his company.....but it would mean relocating to...... yes......Washington State. I had never been to Washington before, but my husband had made a few trips with his job and had been there a few times when he was in the Navy. My husband, being the loving husband he is and knowing that I had family in Florida, told his possible new boss that he would bring his wife on a trip to view the area before committing. This was a big step for me because it meant I would be leaving my older son, Brandon, at the University of Florida. He was in his third year majoring in mechanical engineering. My parents also lived in Florida not too far from us. At this point, they were still in fairly good health....but I knew they would be sad to see us leave.
Knowing what a good opportunity this was for our family, I told my husband that I would be open and supportive. We flew to Washington State and stayed in Silverdale at a local hotel during our visit. My husband showed me around the little towns in Kitsap County. I liked the quaint small-town feeling of Silverdale, Poulsbo, and Bainbridge Island.....not a lot of traffic....people seemed friendly. I loved the huge trees that I saw for the first time. They were like huge Christmas trees to me! I wanted to start decorating! Ha! Then, on the third day, we took the ferry over to Seattle. It was my first time to ride the ferry over, and a trip I will never forget. I loved the culture of Seattle....loved Pike Place Market....the shops....the people....the City. I still love going over to Seattle and enjoy it every time I board the ferry to leave Bainbridge Island.
I think it was when we walked down the street of downtown Seattle that it dawned on me that this area would be a good fit for my sons and I. As you know, I grew up in a small beach town in Florida, but I also spent many years in Houston, Texas. Before my first son was born, I had worked downtown Houston for a large lawfirm. If you have ever been to Houston, you know it is a big area and has some very tall buildings downtown. Both of my sons were born and raised during the first part of their life in Houston.
By the time my husband and I had walked to Nordstroms in Seattle, I turned to him and said, "If the kids like it, I think I could live here..."
My feeling was that the area we would be living in on the Kitsap Peninsula would be a small town type feel.....like where we lived in Florida. I would also still be able to see a lot of water which was nice. But, the City of Seattle was a large hustle bustle place.....only a ferry ride away.....which was a busy place like Houston. It had dawned on me that I actually had the best of both worlds here.
So, we returned to Florida to talk to Brandon and Elliott to see how they felt about relocating and to plan a return trip. We thought we would go back Seattle and bring both my sons to see how they liked the area.
It was during the time that I was talking to Elliott that I realized that he had actually predicted our life many years ago.....on the night that he told me he would be going to college in Washington State.
Our family returned to Washington State, and the guys really had a great time. We explored both the area we would be living in and downtown Seattle. I wanted them to have the full picture of where we would be living. We also looked together at a few houses that were for sale. Lastly, my husband's future boss was having a yearly clam dig on the beach near where she lived. We were invited to attend the clam dig and cook out with other employees from the company. We'll I don't have to tell you that we looked pretty "green" when we showed up for the clam dig in our flip flops instead of some rubber boots! HA! We heard the word "beach" and flip flops/thongs are what you wear to the beaches of Florida. I still remember my flip flops sticking as I walked. I ended up taking them off and going barefoot! We all had a great time. My husband's boss had a friend with her that walked along with us and helped us learn to dig for clams. She was very knowledgeable about Northwest sealife. She explained to us all about the different clams we were getting. My sons learned a lot! Thank you, Jean!
We returned to Florida, and my husband accepted the job. My older son, Brandon, stayed at the University of Florida to finish up his mechanical engineering degree. He had been at the college for three years, had made a lot of friends, and felt very at home there. He loved UF, and I was okay with him staying there because my parents were living close enough for him to drive over and spend weekends with them. I would fly back and forth to visit him from time to time......then, we would fly him to be with us for holidays and the summer. It worked out really well, and Brandon loved coming out to visit the Northwest when he was off from school. He really loves this area a lot. He graduated from University of Florida summa cum laude with his mechanical engineering degree. We were very proud of him at graduation, and I am thankful that my parents were able to see their first grandchild graduate from college. As the puzzle pieces fit together for Brandon, his own picture is beginning to be formed. He got a great job for a major company in Houston, Texas. So, he returned to the area he lived in until he was 13 years old when we moved to Florida. He is doing very well with his company and will be married to his beautiful fiance, Amy, in November.
As for my younger son, my husband, our dog Sassy, and I-----we sold our home and moved to Washington State. We bought a brand new home right near the high school that Elliott would be attending. Elliott made lots of friends at school and got to see his friends in Florida quite a bit, too. We made many visits back to Florida to see my older son, Brandon, my parents and the rest of our family there.
Elliott took to the Northwest like a duck to water.... In his high school year book, along with other sentiments, I wrote "Elliott, I think you have always been a Northwesterner at heart." Elliott loves living in the Seattle area. I was so proud of Elliott on the night he graduated from high school! We took him on a cruise to Alaska after high school to celebrate, and, in no time at all, he was heading to college. He continued to live at home for two years while he attended nearby Olympic College.
Soon we had two new changes in our lives.... Knowing we would be empty nesters soon, we sold our home near the high school Elliott had attended. It was a very big home with an acre lot. It had 4 bedrooms, 2 l/2 baths, formals, gourmet kitchen with morning room, plus a big bonus room upstairs.....it was a beautiful home, and we loved it! But, it was soon just going to be my husband, our Maltese, Sadie, and I at home most of the time. We knew it was time to downsize and move into a "forever cottage." A new puzzle piece came into the picture.....
After my parents passed away in 2008, I had bought a sailboat. My Dad had always loved boating and fishing. It was a way to heal for me and something my Dad would have supported. He always thought we should have a boat. We had been spending more time in the Poulsbo area where our boat, Skye, is moored. We loved the quaint Norwegian town of Poulsbo and were spending more and more time there. May of 2010, we moved into the home we live in now....a home we helped the builder to design. At almost 2400 square feet, it is a nice sized cottage....much smaller than our last house but enough space to house all the things and people we love. Right after we moved into our "forever cottage," Elliott got a letter saying he had been accepted to the University of Washington. What an exciting day that was! Elliott was soooooo happy! Not long after he received the letter, Elliott had his 21st birthday. It was a BIG year for him!
I had very mixed feelings about Elliott leaving to head off to University of Washington. I was extremely happy for him. UW is a GREAT school! I can honestly tell you though that inside I was a little sad to see Elliott leave. My two sons are 6 years apart in age, and I had always had one of them with me for the past 27 years..... This would not only be a change for Elliott, but also a change for me. I was VERY proud of Elliott as he headed over for his first day of college at UW. I knew this would be a great experience for him....
Elliott and I spent a couple of weeks shopping for towels, bedding, school supplies and all the things that a college student moving away to school would need for his dorm. Soon, Elliott received notice that he would be going to Hansee Hall at the UW. This is a dorm primarily for seniors, and you have a private room. Because Elliott was coming into UW as a transfer student, he was placed into Hansee Hall. At first, he was a little dissappointed that he would not have a roommate. But, after he moved in and became accustomed to his dorm, he was very happy that he had been placed in Hansee Hall. He loves having his own room!
The summer seemed to fly by and, suddenly, it was September.....time for Elliott to begin the fall semester at UW. We spent a couple of days packing up our trailer with all the items that would go into his dorm room. On move-in day, we hooked up the trailer and drove over to Seattle. I was very impressed with the move-in procedure of UW. Very organized! They had student volunteers that would help you load things into large bins on rollers. Then, the student volunteers would push the bins as you carried things towards your assigned dorm room.
We helped Elliott set up his dorm room and then we set out to explore Hansee Hall. We found the mail room, the bathrooms, the laundry area and the common areas. After touring the hall, I was so happy that Elliott had been assigned to Hansee Hall. It is a beautiful building that they have nicknamed "the Castle." In some ways, it truly does look like a castle.
After taking time to explore the Hall and taking Elliott to lunch, it was soon time for us to leave him at UW. I gave Elliott a big hug, and we drove back with the trailer to our home. I am very proud of Elliott's adjustment to life away from home. He has done well at UW and made lots of friends there. He has a sweet little girlfriend, and they take swing dance lessons every week at the college. His girlfriend is from California and is majoring in archeology. Elliott has done very well living on his own at college and seems to be very happy at UW which makes me very happy as a Mom. :)
One of the nice things about going to the University of Washington is that it is close enough to come home to visit often. Elliott takes a metro bus from school to the downtown area of Seattle. He then walks to the ferry terminal. The ferry ride from Seattle to Bainbridge Island takes about 30 minutes. When Elliott steps off the ferry terminal, we are there waiting for him in our car. The ferry is only a 20 minute drive from our home. Because of this, Elliott has visited us several times since he started UW. I feel very blessed to have him be so close....
All the photos you have seen so far are of Hansee Hall....
Hansee Hall was built around 1932....
I love the ornate wood and the archways in the hall... It really does remind you of a castle ....
I love the large windows in the next photo... There is a piano in the common area in front of the windows. The students are welcome to play the piano if they like. The day we moved Elliott into his dorm, there was a student playing a beautiful song on the piano as we toured the common areas. Elliott's girlfriend, Erika, plays the piano very well. I am sure she has played this piano. She lives in a different building but spends some time at Hansee Hall when she and Elliott have free time. Elliott also plays piano as he took lessons when he was younger.
Here is a sign that explains that the piano should not be played in the evening after a certain hour to assure that it doesn't wake anyone up who may be sleeping or disturb someone up late studying...
Another part of the common area....
There is a game room for the students in the building. The game room is called "the Stagger Inn."
There is a pool table in the game room....
I saw this sign advertising a clean-up that they held on May 21st....which happens to be my older son's birthday.
This print was hanging in the "Stagger Inn."
I love the large windows in the game room...
These doors are very pretty as well...
Another photo of the piano...
There is also a tv room at the hall called "Blaine TV Lounge."
There are a couple of leather sofas, a large tv, and plenty of seating so that several students can watch a movie or tv show at once....
The students made up their own "TV Guide" which is posted on the wall...
The next photo shows a watercolor that is hanging in the room...
I like the panelling in the hallways and the curved archways...
"Welcome to the Castle!"
Here is Elliott and Erika in the dorm hallway at Hansee Hall...
Erika in the stairway...
The Hansee Housing Hall is very large so it is divided up into sections. To help you find your way around a little easier, the carpet shows the names of each section... This section is called McKee...
Reminders and notes to students are posted on the walls of the hallway....
Here we are at Elliott's dorm room.... These photos were taken on Friday after we had moved everything out of his dorm...
Each room has shelves for books, a bed, a desk and chair, a small chest of drawers for clothing, a mirror and a closet.
Elliott's closet in his room....
Elliott has a nice window in his room which looks out at the tennis court...
It also looks out to some nice trees and another section of Hansee Hall...
Like most homes in the Seattle area we live in, there is no air conditioner. With the mild temperatures here in Washington, you don't really need it. When springtime and summer come, you just open your windows to let the nice air in....
The windows from the outside...
The mirror in Elliott's room...
There is important safety information on the back of the doors of all the rooms at Hansee Hall....
We took Sadie with us to UW on the day we helped Elliott move out...
Some artwork hanging in the hallways....
I love these bay windows...
Some of the houses on "Greek Row" right across the street from the campus...
We got a kick out of the tiki torches up on the balcony...
The planetarium....
There are many pretty flowers and trees at UW.... The college campus has many beautiful trees that bloom in spring and fall... I hope to make some great photos showing the fall leaves in October...
Hansee Hall....
I made this photo of Elliott and Erika before we left the campus... Erika's parents were there at UW the day we were there. We were happy to finally meet Erika's parents who drove from California to pick her up for the summer....
After a nice dinner near the UW Campus, we started our drive back home...
As we drove away from the college, I started thinking about how quickly the year had passed....
It seems like just yesterday that we were helping Elliott to move into his dorm room at Hansee Hall...
Here is a photo of Elliott and I with Sadie Mae on the morning we left to take Elliott to University of Washington last September...
Elliott and I outside our back door right before leaving...
Our car and the trailer on move-in day at UW last September...
Elliott and I in the lobby area at Hansee Hall on the day he move in last September...
I can't believe a year has flown by! Elliott has two more years at University of Washington before he graduates with his engineering degree. I'm so proud of him and all he has accomplished so far. Here is a photo of Elliott and I at UW....
My husband made this next photo of our feet standing on the brick walkway that leads to Elliott's hall. Looking at the photo, I wonder how many feet have passed this way through the years.... So many students have walked the hallways on campus pursuing their dreams....and each one of the students has a story to tell. I hope all of their dreams came true!
As for Elliott, he will be spending the summer at home with us. He is looking forward to having a little time off from school. He has a possible internship planned and will also be going on a Mediterranean cruise. I am going to enjoy spending time with him this summer. In the fall, he will return to the University of Washington. His dorm at Hansee Hall will be there for waiting for him.....and another year will begin. Elliott, your prediction as a six year old came true.....you are going to college in Washington State....just as you said you would. I'm proud of you, and I love you! xoox Mom
Thank you for visiting my blog today....and for coming along to the University of Washington with me. Have a happy day today and may all YOUR dreams come true, too! xoxo Kim