twenty eight.

"Well.  That sure was a good birthday for you, wasn't it?!"

Direct quote from Hunter the evening of my birthday while looking around the apartment at all the packages, tissue paper, gifts, cards that my friends and family so graciously sent my way from quite literally all over the US.  After we extended Hunter's work contract and we knew we'd for sure be in Bremerton through August, it was a funny feeling knowing I would be spending my birthday in the tippie top corner of Washington.  So far away from all my dearest friends and family.  From the looks of our apartment that next morning, you would have n e v e r  have known there was even a single mile of distance between myself and those closest to me.  Birthday's are funny, right?  Mary and I always talk about how people pop out of the shadows that one day for all sorts of well wishes via text, Facebook, email, phone calls, gifts etc while other's seem to hide in their shells pretending they haven't wished you a happy birthday for 27 straight years in a row.  In the midst of the constant stream of messages, I couldn't help have that little voice creep into my head.  That voice pointing out who had wished you a happy day, and those who hadn't wished you a happy day.  "Wellllll, I've heard from all my aunts and uncles but oneeeeee."   "Will they send a card this year?"  And as quickly as those thoughts creeped into my head, I firmly pushed them right back out.  Focusing on who I didn't hear from was doing a WORLD of disservice to the people who I did hear from.  The people who put so much time, energy and love into letting me know how precious and timeless friendships and relationships can be.  I think that is why I've shied away from birthday's in the past.  It's easy for one person to bring you down even when you have dozens of people there to lift you up.  I want to bottle up every emotion of love and bliss that came from the caring hearts and gracious souls who came out that day to wish me well and carry it with me constantly.  

Last Tuesday was great.  Really, really great.  Hunter worked the night before, so he scooped me up that morning at 7a and took me to a birthday brunch at a great local spot, Hi Lo's { whose name I am CONSTANTLY confusing with LoHi in Denver }  We lucked out and were able to eat in their Volkswagen Van they have parked outside and renovated for people to dine in.  Typically you need reservations at least a week out to sit in there, so we were pretty excited that it was open for us!  Back at home while Hunter caught up on his sleep, I treated myself to a day of a little crocheting & a little veging out with trash tv downstairs in the theatre room.  I beat the heat and went for a nice long afternoon run. I took my time opening and savoring the packages that were sent my way.  After Hunter got up we lounged and lazed around for a while before walking over to Manette for our dinner reservations.  Bremerton doesn't have a huge restaurant scene, and I feel like we have hit up a good 98% of the dinning offered.  However, there is this teeny tiny restaurant, La Fermata, over in Manette we'd walk/drive by fairly often and each time we'd  repeat "We have to check that place out before we leave.  We really need to go there.  Hunter look!  They have an open table right now."  The anticipation was building and building so Hunter booked us reservations for my birthday dinner and it was the most perfect decision!  It was more of an investment dinner vs let's go grab a quick dinner, so not somewhere to go to on the regular.  However, it exactly what one would look for in a birthday experience.  Martini's to start out the night followed up with fresh bread + dipping oils, a lovely antipasti plate and two delightful pasta entrees.  Rose wines and local beers with two glasses of port to wrap up the dinner.  We lucked out and it was a beeeeautiful evening out.  After we ate, we intended on just walking home but came across a little pub with live music so we snuck inside for a few beers and some tunes.  It really was a magical evening.  The walk home, hand in hand with Hunt, a warm scarf around my shoulders in the evening breeze, walking on the bridge with the water sparkling beneath us...well it was every bit as romantic { disgustingly barfy } and picture perfect as it sounds.

The plan for the rest of our evening was to go home and smoke cigars on the patio watching the ferries and waves drift in and out, but we had a 4am alarm set for the 4:50a ferry.  Sleep trumped cigars which was quite possibly the best decision of the night.  So!  My birthday trip this year was an overnight in Portland and traveling there via the Amtrak Train!  If I had a bucket list, taking the train would have been on that list for years and years and years.  I love hearing the story of my parents taking it from Denver { Where they met!  Which I always find to be romantic considering Denver is where Hunt and I met, too. } to Wisconsin for my mom to meet my dad's family for the first time!  When I worked in Denver, the Amtrak station/tracks were diiiirectly behind my office building.  Many mornings I would day dream about them walking hand in hand while loading a train set for Wisconsin.  Just knowing those tracks I would see on my walk into work each morning were same tracks used for their trip would was really special to me.  Hunter had taken the train a few times as a kid, and was totally on board { pun intended } with fulfilling this little adventure desire of mine.

Photos and stories of our Amtrak + Portland adventure to follow.  This post got a little too wordy and long winded to keep going { and going, and going }.  SHOCKING, I know.