When I interviewed for a job at the Sequim Gazette a little more than two years ago, the editor at the time asked me if I thought I'd get bored living in Sequim. As we approach the end of summer, I feel the opposite of bored. I feel exhausted after another busy Sequim summer.

Yes, it's mostly a retirement town and, yes, it does get quiet after 8 p.m. unless you trek out to the 7 Cedars Casino, and, yes, dining and shopping options are limited. But even someone like me, young and on a budget, can find things to do just about all day every day (with eight hours set aside for sleep) from June through the end of August.

 

First there are the normal things to do: Work (at jobs, for family, etc.), cook (freezer to oven to plate), clean (when it's no longer avoidable) and schoolwork (I don't know why I thought it was a good idea to take a summer course). On top of that there are summer weddings, baby showers, birthday parties, BBQs, car shows, beaches, parks, hikes, bike rides, relatives visiting from out of town and let's not forget the festivals. I went to the Lavender Weekend festivities and admired the Arts in Action and Balloon Festival events from a quiet distance. The fair is also a can't-miss summer event, although I went more for the baby animals and elephant ears than anything else.

This summer, I finally went to a professional sports game in Seattle for the first time. There's nothing like being one of 64,000 fans in the stands of a soccer game or seeing said 64,000 fans leave the stadium at the same time and flood the streets of the city. Another first: My first luau. I won tickets to a luau through the 7 Cedars Casino page on Facebook (they have weekly sweepstakes) and had a blast with my dad at the party set up at the Cedars at Dungeness Golf Course. The food and entertainment were excellent.

I can tell you the worst parts of the summer: Not enough hot sunny days, and driving on Highway 101 from Kitchen Dick Road to Shore Road going 30-45 mph every time because of all the backed-up traffic. *cringe* If that's the worst it gets up here in the summer I'll take it. If you asked me what the best part of the summer was, I honestly couldn't tell you. There was so much happening all the time I can hardly remember it all. But what I do remember was great.

 

I'm looking forward to curling up with a textbook (yes, I'm taking a fall course, too) and a cup of tea on a cold and windy October evening. I need a nice quiet fall to recover from this hectic summer.