Mountains. Freedom. Niece.

Each morning at the office, I get to see the sun rise. Some days, there's not much to see when the clouds hide all the colors and light and all I see is the darkness turning to lighter and lighter shades of gray. But then some days, the light hits the Olympic Mountain Range perfectly--pink, purple; sometimes the rising sun hits the snowy caps of the mountains in such a striking way that it takes my breath away. This morning, I am gazing at those mountains, and it makes me feel this strange mixture of sadness and happiness and awe; a strong yearning to just be there in those mountains, exploring, or just sitting, absorbing nature. This city life is tiresome. It was easy to take Bellingham for granted--the ease of accessing natural places. There are plenty of parks here in Seattle too, but it's different. The city vibe is still there, even in the quietest places.
I need to try harder to spend time in natural places. Walk in the arboretum, drive or bicycle over to the big park in Issaquah. Go on a bike overnight to Bainbridge, Mt. Vernon, Carnation. Go snowboarding or snowshoeing. Visit Mt. Rainier. Visit Eleanor and Kent.

Celebrated Passover with the family last night. It's good to remember my roots and be grateful for freedom. What am I doing to make the most of my freedom? This should be a question I ask myself for often. Am I living my free life to its fullest?

I wonder what my little niece will be like. I love her already and she doesn't even exist yet. I want to instill a love of growing things and an understanding of the interconnections in this world. I know this is a bit ambitious, but I'll have be more involved in this little one's life than I have been with Tyler's. I'll be a full-time auntie, instead of a part-time one. It seems so abstract that there will be a new person in my life. I am lucky enough to get to observe this little life from its conception on into the unknown future. Right now my future niece is about have her first plane ride. I wonder if a fetus can feel the changes in pressure and if it will feel Leah's anxiety about being trapped on the plane.