Turkey and Tryptophan

Remember how I told you I love Christmas? Well, one of the reasons for this is because I love my family. We've always been pretty obnoxiously close. So because of this (also food) I really like Thanksgiving, too. And for only the second time in my life last year, I didn't spend Thanksgiving with my (immediate) family. But know what? It sucked.

Heh. But not really. Quite the contrary, actually.

Since I'm from Wyoming, and currently go to college about 1,000 miles away, it's a little difficult to just make a quick jaunt back to my hometown for those shorter holidays. Being from Lander is great, but it's kind of an epic journey just to make it back. It usually involves two or three plane rides, a drive, a shuttle bus, three tubes of toothpaste, a dog sled, and a socket wrench.

Ok, so not the last three. But it is quite the journey. So last year I went to my aunt and uncle's house in Seattle. They have two kids, Andrew and Lucy, who are (around) 9 and 13.

Instead of leaving at o'dark thirty to get on some stupid shuttle, I got to ride the train down to Seattle. Let me tell you, gentle readers, that riding the train along the coast of the Pacific Ocean is something to put on your bucket list. For a girl born and raised in Central Wyoming- it was kinda magical.

kinda like this... but better.

Andrew and my uncle Herbee (yeah. I know. but his real name is Rufus Herbert, so we stick with Herbee) picked me up at the downtown Seattle train station, and drove me to their house in Northern Seattle. It was pretty late already, since I'd taken the 8 o'clock train from Bellingham, but when we got to their house, Herbee made me a fried egg, and Lucy gave me her room to sleep in. Awww, family.

My mom's side of the family is HUGE (Herbee is her youngest brother) so I rarely get to hang out with just part of them. It was really nice to see just them for a little while.

this is like my mom's family, except less wholesome, blonde, and cute, and more Southern, hickish, and noisy. also I think there's more of them. love y'all!

They let me drive their station wagon through the dark, rain-slicked Seattle streets to go to the movie store, where Lucy and I picked out Land of the Lost, and I learned the importance of using a parking brake in Seattle. Lucy and Andrew and I went to go see The Blind Side, and I tried not to make gross sniffly noises while Andrew rolled his eyes at me. We went to some family friends of theirs and watched A Christmas Story, at which I ended up hanging out in the basement with a bunch of Andrew's friends telling gross-out stories and drinking root beer. (Hardcore, I know)

this one time, there was this worm...

We went out to a Chinese restaurant the night before I left and then I dragged them all to an Asian food market to smell a durian.

people have likened the smell to rotten meat. mmmm, tasty.

And at the end of my stay, Andrew turned to me thoughtfully and said "You know Marshall, you're pretty much like my mom. But better!"
Uh. Thank you?

I can't wait to go back next week!