Fitting in in Bellingham

I made it through my first official day today, and I think I avoided stepping in anything, putting my foot in my mouth or anything like that.  I think that I avoided saying stupid things, often spoke in complete sentences, and was quiet when I should have been.  I would call that a successful day.

It will be interesting to see how I fit in.  I am not nearly outdoorsy enough, at least at this point.  I don't have a single pair of Keens, I don't have a carbiner that holds my keys, and in fact am uncertain on how to even  spell carbiner, though I know that the real NW folks use real ones, not the fake ones for key holders.  I get hyper when I drink as much coffee as some people do and am amazed that anyone is laid back with all that caffeine.  Honestly, today I stopped on the way to work and ordered a 20 oz mocha, and asked for an extra shot, only to be told that it already came with three shots, and did I want to have four shots instead?  Only if my cardiologist was on call...

I think that I could come up with a list of a few things that would help me blend in a bit better.  I need to come up with a physical activity plan--everyone talks about how they ran there, biked to that other place, kayaked back and then hiked a mountain on the weekend.  Saying I read a book, even one on renewable energy, doesn't cut it.  I need to lose weight.  I think that might come if the first thing is attained, but there are some fit people.  Annoying beyond belief.  I need to at the very least keep my roof rack on my car, and perhaps even use it, though I would gain acceptance points just by having a sea kayak on it, and I talked about or to or whatever they do with orcas.

Still, I think I do like it here.  Tonight I was sitting at the Bellis Faire Mall, and I ate teriyake from the Kojo grill which is proudly part of the food court there. It is a meal that I have eaten countless times in my other, previous life in Bellingham, and it was a renewed memory,  a warm memory.  The mall is a bit seedier and tattered around the edges, but so am I, I think.  The company (myself) was OK but different than before--it was a different life.  But those memories of eating that meal before going to a cheap movie on "date night" were so real.  And good.  Honestly, they were so real.  It helped that I think that the same guy still works there, and it was the same chicken, too!    Oddly enough it pointed out to me how much I have changed and how little I have changed.  When we ate that meal it was a real treat and pushed our budget to be able to eat and go to a movie.  Now, I suppose I am a bit higher up the economic food chain, yet I still chose the same meal.  The good thing is that this meal still meant as much to me, and was still a treat for me.

I think that I will continue to both experience new things and re-interpret old memories as I try and fit in and learn the area again.  That is OK.  The blending of memories and new experiences will certainly make it a richer life.  

This weekend I am going to Seattle to see John Lindrud as he visits his older brother.  It will be fun, and I will have more stories to share on the weekend.