Before You Decide to Live in Seattle...

For those of you who would like to live in Seattle or are planning to move to Seattle soon...

I'm from New Mexico, and coming to Seattle has really rocked my little sub-urban reality. So here are some facts, tricks and tips that you might find useful if you're not from the Pacific North-West. 

-I would say around 98% of the time, it doesn't actually rain in Seattle. It just kind of constantly drizzles and makes everything moldy and more mossy than it already was.

-Your nice comfortable shoes will definitely smell like old garbage if you don't dry them out after a stroll in the city puddles and drizzle. (make sure they are as clean and dry as possible first, and then use wadded up newspaper and stuff it into the shoe. You CAN put it in the washing machine drier if you have patience. A blow-drier or just letting them sit out in the open for a while doesn't cut it.) 

-Wet socks are the worst. Just get some waterproof shoes. 

-Try to protect all paper you carry outside in the drizzle with some kind of plastic. If you use a paper bag to carry groceries, it will fall apart in no time. If your backpack or bag isn't waterproof, your important paper documents will get water damaged.

-Your food will mold and get disgusting here quicker than drier climates.

-Anything that is wet will mildew, and any standing puddle of water (seen or unseen) will mold and likely smell bad. 

-If you stay here during the winter, look forward to the sun setting at 3:30-4:00 pm. 

-If you stay in Seattle for the entire year or most of the year, be prepared to want to sleep too much because of the lack of sunlight in the fall and winter, and be prepared to still want to sleep too much when you get too much sunlight in the spring, summer, or on vacation. It's really a problem. Try to get ahold of some vitamin-D pills for the fall and winter months. 

-You actually don't need an umbrella (I've actually never used one in the two years I've been here) but I do believe it helps keep rain off of you, as long as the wind isn't blowing. In that case, your umbrella will be a hassle, as it will flip inside out when the wind catches it. 

-The air is more dense here because of the moisture, so the wind feels stronger and the temperature feels colder (if already cold) and warmer (if already warm) than it actually is. I think. 

-There are tent cities of homeless people under most highway bridges, and lots of homeless people in general. It is very sad and I wish I could feed and help all of them and their children & pets. 

-If you don't love coffee already, you probably will soon, because coffee shops are everywhere and you will probably want to try it out sometime. Especially if you want to fit in with the Seattlites. 

-There's tons of plants and wildlife (yes, this includes insects) you probably haven't seen in real life before, or can't identify.

-Go ahead and eat those blackberries off the bushes, if you even have time to stop. Just be sure they are actually blackberries. 

-There aren't just pigeons like in other major cities, but there are also seagulls and crows. All three types of birds will beg for and eat your food. There are also sometimes flocks of Canadian geese, don't be surprised when you see what a mess they've left for you to walk in.

-There's always something happening, I don't think you could ever dream of going to every event and protest held here. Some events can be dangerous, so be careful what you attend.

-Oh yeah, rent is really high. So is the minimum wage. But no one wants to pay $1,400 per month for an apartment. 

But yeah, overall, Seattle is such a lovely and quirky place. It has tons of diversity, endless shops and excellent food, opportunity and apparent misery. You'll get use to the city and come to love it, even if you hated it with all of your being when you first arrived. It will really teach you how important relaxation and indulgence is, because Seattle is a hard place to live and you'll need to escape from it sometimes. Good luck, I hope you can find some friends to keep your sanity out here!