Mountains in the Mirror

A month or two ago I would have said leaving Washington would be pretty easy to me.  On the surface things weren't going quite as I had hoped they would.  Flying back to Alabama in early April not only made me realize how much I missed my friends and family, but also reminded me that the southeast feels like home.   Having said that, however, Washington had a lot more to offer in the last month and a half than it had in the earlier months.  It was as if the moment I decided to leave Washington, it decided to show my why I should stay.  The weather turned from mostly overcast with the exception of a couple of hours/days of sun to the exact opposite.  And with little to no humidity present, the 70 degree weather there was perfect.  Even on top of a snow covered mountain you could bask in the sun in nothing but a t-shirt.  One of the friends I made had kayaks and knew of a small man made island called Jetty, which was a short paddle across the sound.   We would pack a few beers, paddle out to the island, and watch the sunset over a fire made from driftwood on the beach.  Occasionally we would spot a bald eagle or a whale cruising across the sound, and we could always see either (or both) the Olympic mountains in front of us or the Cascades behind us.  This was just one of the countless miniature personal paradise spots Washington had to offer.  TO BE CONTINUED...