Trip One - Ode to Jen

I popped into Seattle for a few days (sorry to those of you I didn't have time to to see!) to connect with family and attend Jen and Andy's wedding...although I was hoping for some warm sunshine to contrast the Melbourne Winter, my lungs graciously soaked in green tree fed air, and my skin soaked in the wet....Jen sat next to me in 7th grade history and English class wearing a "tilter" haircut, a gray penguin sweater and wristfuls of Swatches purchased on family trips to Europe. We were both somewhat introverted back then, and were happy to have a friend. She was a voracious reader and I remember admiring her ability to draw horses as we both doodled on our notebooks. We went skiing every weekend in winter months and played tennis together badly. Her family generously took me along on trips to the San Juans and Montana and as we grew, Jen and I shared in teenage rebellious behavior. At age 13 we bought pointy Fluvog Shoes, recycled clothes from Valu Village (Jen even had a cape!) and hair extensions and went to see bands like Echo and the Bunnymen. Later we'd drive around in a car we called the "Zitmobile", play chess in Volunteer Park and wander through the Seattle Art Museum, or sit down on the waterfront eating French bread with unsalted butter and cheese(we thought we were so cool), or sip coffees a the Last Exit on Brooklyn where we'd get in philosophical discussions with random strangers while eating the best PB&Js. Her creativity blossomed as she made costumes for theatre and I remember her always painting murals in her room, redesigning furniture and the like, but she also loved history and economics and science. She was always a bit clumbsy but somehow it worked for her. She made a friend when she ran into school late, knocking over a blind woman and breaking her cane. As I recall the woman said, "that's okay it happens all the time." After high school graduation we hopped on a plane to New York City. We laughed and laughed after I lectured Jen on being careful of theft in NYC then proceded to leave my wallet in the first cab we took. The first night I emerged from the bathroom to find Jen with childrens scissors in one hand and her long red hair in the other, chopping away just below her ear. "It's time for a change," she said. I was horrified when she asked, "Can you even it out?" We wandered around the city hopping between museums. At one stage it started to rain and everyone pulled out umbrellas or ran inside and under cover. Being proud Seattleites, we continued to walk down the street. Soon the light rain turned to a downpour and we were soaked. Shortly afterwards the sun peeped through the clouds and the rain stopped. Everyone then flowed back out onto the street dry and comfortable while Jen and I stood there looking like drowned rats. After some days exploring the city we headed out to Connecticut where I met up with another friend whose family has a house on the beach. I remember have discussions about how we'd raise our kids as we walked along the beach road. From there we went our separate ways, Jen down to Virginia and me upstate to visit my father and soon after we drifted even further apart for a few years as she went off to Montana and then to Scotland, and got into rowing and studying econ and history, while I studied art, chased bands around, and became an environmental activist, but towards the end of Uni we met up again. I bumped into her in the HUB on the UW campus and learned she'd just returned from living in Scotland. She tripped up the stairs and spilled soup all over the cafeteria floor and I laughed that she hadn't changed. We ended up living together for about a year, just off Broadway during a fun time in Seattle. We were in our early 20s and spent our time going out to bars, seeing bands, working hard at low-paying jobs, and eating breakfasts at local cafes. One particular weekend morning after an eventful Presidents show at the Croc, we bumped into some other women friends at Septieme and sat eating drinking and chatting for hours. That day The Breakfast Club was born. The four of us (Page, Jen, Millie, and I) had breakfast every weekend for years, even though each of us left for periods of time to live abroad and returned. Eventually we started vacationing together once a year since distance made breakfast impossible. We took backcountry ski holidays, toured DC, relaxed at a farm in Virginia, took a couple trips to Idaho and one to Jen's parent's island cabin and fantasized about vacationing in the Mediterranean some day, but that too faded as we began to work busy jobs, buy houses, find partners, and have kids. It was a great joy to be reunited again to witness Jen and Andy's union and to support them in starting a family, due soon! Here's to you Jen! Thanks for all the memories!