Country Roads, Take Me Home

So I left Minnesota on Friday morning to head back west for a family reunion. Whenever I fly into Seattle I always pick a window seat on the left side of the airplane. This is why:

That is Mount Rainier, Washington's most impressive volcano. I happened to be sitting next to a couple from Detroit who had never even heard of Mount Rainier and they were very excited about the cool view.

I had quite a long layover in Seattle, but it's a really nice airport so I didn't mind. They renovated the airport a few years ago and created this beautiful open shopping area full of nice markets and tasty restaurants. It's impossible to get a good picture of the huge windows and beautiful view, but I tried.

After a short flight full of turbulence over the Cascade Mountains, I got in a car with my family and drove to my mother's hometown, where my grandparents still reside for a quick visit. It's a cute little farming community and actually quite beautiful this time of year.

I'm back in my own hometown now, and back in my childhood room which is always a little strange. I did discover the sunglasses I misplaced last year, so that was a pleasant surprise, and today I'm thinking about getting my favorite pizza. I made the mistake of feeding the cat some nachos last night and now she thinks I'm her best friend. She snuggled up with me in bed all night and then demanded to be fed at 5:30 AM (seriously, she kept meowing at me and wouldn't let me sleep). Then she followed me around all morning. She's getting quite eccentric in her old age, but I guess we all are.