I have been dying to tell all of you the news–we’re moving to Seattle, Washington! We’ve been eager to move back to the U.S. to simplify our adoption process and Simon had a wonderful job opportunity come up in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. Though I grew up on the West coast, I’ve never been to Washington State and am so excited to explore our new city. Thankfully, Simon used to live in Portland and has spent lots of time in Seattle over the years, so he’s filled me in. If you’ve been reading this blog for awhile you’ve probably gathered that I love moving (it’s true!) and this new adventure has me more excited then ever. I haven’t been back to the States since we moved overseas (!!) so I am embarrassingly excited to go to Trader Joe’s and order a thousand books from Amazon Prime. I’ll also be a direct flight home to see my parents and Grandma Rita in San Luis Obispo, so it’s going to be so fantastic.
The icing on the cake? We already signed a lease on a sweet little four-bedroom house in Seattle! I can’t wait to make it over and share the process with all of you. It has a big backyard for our pug Alfred and I’m already dreaming about my first garden. Once our things arrive from Denmark and we get settled, we can finally complete our adoption home study and be put on the waiting list for a baby!!!!! While I am eternally grateful for all the traveling I’ve done lately (17 countries since we moved?!), I am so ready to stay put in one place for awhile and truly get settled. Besides, luckily for me, having in-laws in London means we’ll be making an annual trip to Europe at the very least.
We leave Denmark the first week of September (so soon!) and though we’ll miss our dear Scandinavia, we are overjoyed about this new chapter in our lives.
Have you been to Seattle? Anything I must see/do/explore? Wish us luck!
You will love Seattle, Katie. Welcome home!
Wishing you the absolute best Katie! I’ve been following you for what seems like 5+ years!
Emma
Cole – So sweet, thank you!! I think I will love it, too!
Emma – Thanks for you well wishes and for following along! xoxo
Oh yay!! You will love Seattle. I promise. How exciting about adoption too. Good luck!! ❤️
Autumn – Thank you! Can’t wait to explore the PNW!!
You are going to love Seattle! I’ve lived here for four years now and can’t even think about moving somewhere else. Welcome to the PNW!
I’m so excited for you. I used to live in Seattle and visit my uncle there quite often. You will love it. I love reading your blog and it will be even more fun to follow your life in Seattle AND your adoption and baby. Best wishes!
Deborah – Hearing all these nice things about Seattle has me over the moon excited! Thank you for following along on our adventures! xo
Molly – YAY!!!! I really hope I feel the same way and we stay forever! Thanks so much for the warm welcome!
Many blessing, Katie! Btw, you have fantastic taste!
Kristie – Well aren’t you sweet! We’ll take all the blessings we can get on this crazy adoption journey! Thank you so much!!!! xoxo
Katie,
You will absolutely adore Seattle! You have the water and the mountains. I lived there for several year. You must check out the Chihuliy Glass Gardens at the base of the Space Needle. Such a wonderful place to start a family!
So happy for you guys! I loved living in Seattle and my best friend still lives there so I visit often. But more importantly, this is the beginning chapter for your family and your adoption!! I have so many friends that love to embrace new people so I would love to connect you. Making friends in new cities is hard at our age. You’re going to love it there! Best of luck!
Michelle – Thank you for your kind words! Will add those gardens to my list! Have read how Seattle is famous for blown glass (which I love)…hoping to take a class!
Sarah – Will shoot you an email! We are lucky to already have some friends there thankfully, but I’m always game to make more! Thanks for following along! xo
First time commenting to say that I wish you two all the best on your adoption journey! Seattle is amazing and yes, order all the books from Amazon but also, check out Elliott Bay Book Company – it is fantastic!!
Kristin – Simon loves that bookshop!! I won’t buy all my books from Amazon, promise! :) Thanks for your well wishes!
Happy for you as you enter a new and exciting chapter!
Nannette – Thank you! How lucky we are to have so many thoughtful people rooting for us! xo
The stars are aligning for you, Katie! I’ve went to Seattle once for several days and really loved it. I feel I know you well enough from your blog to feel confident you will enjoy Seattle & your new life there. Best wishes!
So happy for you, Katie!! It’s lovely to think about settling in somewhere after all of your adventuring. Best wishes for a smooth move! :)
Such wonderful, exciting news! So happy for you, Katie!
That’s exciting! I love your posts and will look forward to your new perspective!
Yay!!! Very excited for you (and like others, I have followed you for a long time – wishing you all the best on the next steps in the adoption process!!) as you move here to Sea-town. I’ve lived in Seattle for going on four years now, and I love it.
What exciting news! Best wishes as you plan for your move, and safe travels to your family! We all look forward to following along.
Welcome to Seattle! I’ve lived here my whole life and you will love it—it is the most beautiful and special place in the world. What neighborhood will you be living in? Please let me know if you need recommendations on restaurants, shops, etc. I’d be happy to help answer any questions for you.
Welcome! We live in the Lake City neighborhood and I’d be happy to meet up and take you on a little tour! Hopefully the smoke will be gone by the time you get here!
Very exciting! Seattle seems like the perfect fit for you two and your future family! Happy trails, and can’t wait to follow the adventure.
After living in Copenhagen for 6 years there was a long list of things I learned to appreciate in the US, like costco, which I would NEVER normally go to, but hey, there’s something fun about buying 80 rolls of toilet paper (and they have great organic produce these days!) I also love the fact that my audi cost the same as my very old Mazda! LOL! I know we don’t know each other IRL but if you ever need someone to talk to about the transition please don’t hesitate to reach out. Living somewhere like Copenhagen will have changed you in ways you didn’t realize. Go eat a flodeboller for me and a Joe and the Juice… oh and a muesliboller! LOL! And take a thousand more photos because somehow when you get back everything you took won’t seem quite enough…
Truly, best wishes for your new adventure!!
Wishing you all the BEST Katie! I am a recent follower and have loved reading your blog this summer. Thank you! Many mornings you made me smile and ooh and ahh. Looking forward to to hearing about all your new adventures in the Pacific Northwest, you will love it! Be sure to visit the San Juan Islands, they are amazing. Take care! XO, Suzanne T.
Best of everything to you and Simon!
Have you ever read Ted Kennedy Watson’s blog or ordered from his store? Now you can be chums with him- I know I’d be if I lived in Seattle!
McNeil – Thanks so much! Can’t wait for the moving part to be over so we can relax and explore! xo
Phyllis – Thanks so much! Always a treat seeing your name! xo
Susan – Thank you! Was thinking this morning how it will be interesting to see how my aesthetic is influenced by the PNW! :)
Meredith – Thank you! I may have to buy you a coffee once we arrive! Love learning that I have Seattle readers!
Julie – How lucky are we to have so many wonderful folks like yourself cheering us on. Thank you for saying hello!
Becky – The house we’re renting is in the Ravenna/Wedgwood area (I’m not sure which it is technically!). Excited to eat at Junebaby! Would love to meet up once we’ve arrived!
Chris – Would love a little tour! So sweet of you! Will touch bases once we’ve arrived! xo
Molly – Thank you! I think we’ll be really happy there!
Valentina – Your comment made me laugh! Clearly, you get it! Now I am so excited to go to Costco! So glad you said hello, will gladly have a flodeboller in your honor!
Suzanne – Love hearing from new readers! And am so excited to visit the San Juan islands…was reading about them recently and they look amazing! Thanks for the tip!
Denise – Ted and I are internet friends, hah! Have plans to hang out when I arrive. I agree his store looks amazing! :)
such exciting news!! sounds like there’s a lot of great things in the works for you, simon, + alfred! your comment about trader joe’s and amazon prime is too funny! i would absolutely feel the same way. best of luck! xo
Wow lots of creatives in Seattle…you will be a perfect fit! Follow simplyrealhealth….local_trove…cannellevanelle….gobeyou…chef Erickson….Jimhenkens….drygoods. Gatherseattle…..you ll be happy here
Hi Katie! You will love Seattle! I am a lifelong Seattleite and also a mom to 6 pugs and a 20 month old little girl. We recently moved to New York but still keep our home in Seattle. I have to say I miss Seattle but am lucky enough to come home whenever I get a bit homesick. There are so many great things and people in Seattle. Ted Kennedy Watson being one of them. You will love meeting him. Lots of wonderful shops and restaurants. Watson Kennedy being at the top of my list. Also Red Ticking (Pam is a friend of mine) which I’m sure you are familiar with. My friend Liz Le Dorze has a wonderful shop called Suger Flower Market in adorable Poulsbo which is just a ferry ride away. She is so sweet and fun to get to know. Also my friend Kathryn has Petit and Olson on Bainbridge ( also on the way to Poulsbo) and I have a shop across the street from her called Salt House Mercantile and one in Madison Valley just a few doors down from Red Ticking. Next to me in Madison Valley is also Marine Area 7, a wonderful kitchenwares and wine shop. Jim is the owner and a wonderful photographer and hosts dinners in his beautiful shop. I am getting homesick as I write this. As for restaurants…London Plane, Junebaby, The Whale Wins, Bar Melusine (any Renee Erickson restaurant) Sitka and Spruce, Lark…. So many great ones I’m sure I’m missing something. Also if you are a fan of Thai, Buddha Ruksa in West Seattle is amazing! We used to eat there 3 times a week. I so miss it. If you go tell Ohm that Carrie mentioned you must go there for the Crispy Garlic Chicken ( you will be addicted). And the grocery stores…Metropolitan Market (make sure you have one of their famous chocolate chip cookies) and PCC. Pike Place Market for produce and flowers. Sorry to overwhelm you with info. You will love it here! Welcome and I wish you all the best on your way along the adoption process! Maybe when I am back in Seattle we could meet up for a pug play date. Welcome Katie!!!!
And if you ever head out to the East Coast we are here in Brooklyn and Sag Harbor.
Caitie – Thanks for your well wishes! Simon is going to have to reign me in on Amazon Prime, watch out! :)
Paula – Thank you so much for the warm welcome! Will look all those folks up on instagram now! So many exciting things happening in Seattle, excited to take part!
Carrie – I am going to shoot you an email—you know all the best places! Also, 6 pugs and Sag Harbor?! You are living my dream life! xx
Congratulations! I can’t wait to see what you do with the Seattle apartment and here more about your adoption story! <3
Katie-wishing you both all the best with the move and adoption process we’re hoping to adopt a pair of siblings and are at the beginning of the process more than 60,000 kids in the Bay Area need permanent homes! So crazy. We have several dear friends in Seattle. Will reach out when we visit! XO, John
Oh Katie I am thrilled for you! You will love Seattle.
I moved to Portland a year ago and have really fallen for the PNW. I can’t wait to see what you get up to! xx
Wren – Can’t wait to share the decorating process with you!
John – That is so wonderful!!! I am so excited for you and your husband. What a special family you will be. I think we may adopt a sibling group after we’ve gotten settled with a baby…I’ve always thought it would be such a neat thing. Please do reach out when you’re next in Seattle. Would be so nice to catch up! xo
Katherine – I love hearing this. Simon raves about Portland! Hoping I’ll make it down there to explore soon! xo
I am so excited for this new chapter of yours, and can’t wait to hear all about the new city (and hopefully come and visit). Good luck with the move and the adoption process!!
Briony xox
Briony – You guys must come visit!! We’d love to have you!!!!
So freaking excited for you and this next chapter!!!!!!! Can’t wait to have you back in the States!!! xoxoxoxo
Ahhh this is so exciting!! I live in Seattle and I was born and raised the Seattle area. There’s so much to enjoy! The scenery is always beautiful. Tons of cute neighborhoods to explore in Seattle itself and the I-5 freeway is city after city after city for well over 70 miles which means even more to explore. I am so excited to see what you think of Seattle and your new place and how you adjust to life in the PNW!
Ellie – Finally!!! Hah! Can’t wait to visit you and for you to visit us!!! xoxo
Jen – Thanks so much for the warm welcome! I have heard such wonderful things about Seattle — I’m determined to channel my inner outdoorswoman (she must be in there somewhere?! hah!) and really embrace life in the PNW!!! xo
Check out Glassy Baby (Darling hand blown glass votives with a cause) and you will be a Ferry ride from beautiful Victoria!