Happy Thanksgiving

Holiday season has officially arrived! I've spent most of the day prepping for the Thanksgiving feast tomorrow - grocery shopping, donning my cute yellow apron, and making a massive mess in the kitchen as I work to prepare my assigned food items for the meal tomorrow afternoon at Justin's place. I'm very much looking forward to the greatest meal of the entire year, complete with turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, green bean casserole, pumpkin pie, etc. A few of us are getting together to celebrate the holiday - Justin, Nikki, Mike, Craig, and myself. Great food, good friends, and football...should be a lot of fun. Different from previous Thanksgivings, because I won't be celebrating with family, but I'm still excited :)

It definitely went from feeling like a wonderful fall to an icy winter quite fast here in Seattle. On Monday, it started snowing...and didn't stop all day. We ended up getting two inches of snow, and many parts of the city have shut down because of it. Roads are closed, buses are rerouted to avoid many of Seattle's hills, schools have been closed, businesses shut down early, thousands of people have lost power at one point or another...it's crazy what just a little bit of snow will do out here! There were several car accidents, one that even cause a five-hour long standstill traffic gridlock on the interstate Monday night. The south slope of the hill that I live on (keep in mind, I live on the top of a very steep hill) has been closed since Monday. Sledders have been taking advantage of the steep slope since then. Monday night after I got home from work (I took a less steep back route up the hill, after having to reroute twice due to road closures), I went out to watch the sledders for awhile - they were having a blast! The temperature even hit a record breaking low last night/this morning at 16 degrees Fahrenheit. I find it slightly funny that that is the record low - that's a nice, warm winter day in Fargo!

Sledders going down Queen Anne Hill:

Frozen fountain up the street:

Looking back at this past year, I have so much to be thankful for - an amazing family, wonderful friends, a full-time job that I (usually) enjoy, a roof over my head, delicious food to eat, clothes to keep me warm, a new Josh Groban CD to listen to...life is pretty darn good, and its so important to not take things for granted. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Welcome to Fall!

Since it's been a whole two months since the last update, I figured its about time to blog once again. Time has continued to fly by, and I look back and wonder how the months could possibly pass so quickly!

September was a good month for me - Seattle weather continued to impress me with gorgeous days, I turned 25 years old (gosh, I'm getting so old!), and I started dating a pretty fantastic guy named Craig :) Our first date was September 15th (the day after my birthday) - we met for coffee at my favorite espresso cafe, El Diablo, in Queen Anne, then headed downtown to do the haunted ghost tour of Pike's Place Market, and finished the evening with dinner at a trendy restaurant named Boka. Craig is a software developer originally from New Jersey (complete with the accent that I just can't seem to get enought of), who has great taste in music and is incredibly sweet and thoughtful. We enjoy the time that we get to spend together, trying new restaurants and activities out on the town. He's really super, and I feel lucky to have met him. He even TiVos Big Bang Theory each week so that I don't have to miss an episode! And watching the show with him is fun, because he enjoys Star Trek quite a bit, and explains little bits/blurps/references from BBT that I wouldn't normally have picked up on - adding to the humor even more. Yep, Craig is great :)

October went by in another blur of time. I began the month with a long weekend trip back to Fargo for NDSU's Homecoming. Allison and her roommate, Baylee, were nice enough to let me stay with them in their dorm at MSUM, and Mom & Dad made the trip up for the weekend as well. It was so great to be able to spend time with family (minus Michelle, who didn't make it up)...I've missed them all so much! Of course, Allison and I had to take a trip to Kroll's for late-night ice cream shakes. I also was able to spend time with great friends, who I've missed very much - martini's at the HoDo, the Homecoming parade and football game, and live music in downtown Fargo are a few of the highlights from the weekend.


Back in Seattle, October's events included a trip to a corn maze/pumpkin patch with Craig and some of his friends, my first karaoke experience, salsa dancing with Craig, viewing a collection of art by Pablo Picasso at the Seattle Art Musuem, and of course, lots of hours at the pharmacy. I continue to float from store to store, and am anxiously awaiting for a permanent position to open up somewhere - I'm ready for a store that I can call home. Flu shots are starting to slow down, but I still give at least a couple each day.

It's hard to believe November is already a third over! I had a day off last week, and decided to do a little bit of Pacific NW exploration. It was a gorgeous day, so I took an hour long ferry ride to Bremerton, WA. It was a beautiful trip, and I got to see a bit of wildlife - lots of harbor seals and some jellyfish. While in Bremerton, I walked through a couple of art galleries and browsed through an antique shop. I also spent some time taking in the scenery from Scenic Beach State Park. Great day off :)
Over the weekend, Craig and I had dinner at a dueling piano bar named Chopstix, located at the bottom of Queen Anne Hill. After dinner, we stayed and listened to the piano players for awhile - so much fun! I love that place.
This coming Friday, Craig and I are heading down to Portland, Oregon for the weekend to do some sightseeing and visit a college friend of mine who lives down there. We're both excited for the mini-roadtrip (Portland is only about a three hour drive from Seattle).

Other than that, not too much is new. I'm very excited for my upcoming trip home December 10th-13th. It'll be the first trip home since the move in June, and I can't wait! Let's just hope there isn't too much snow yet :)

Coffee and Doughnuts :)

Life has been fairly uneventful the past couple of weeks - but I have encountered a couple of great things that I'd like to share with you all...

First, there's a coffee shop at the bottom of Queen Anne that serves their mochas with beautiful coffee art. Although the outdoor seating is along a busy street, and thus not very relaxing, the coffee was superb.

Secondly, this morning I ventured out to a new part of town that I hadn't yet visited to check out a local doughnut shop - Mighty-O-Donuts. So glad I did! I had a nutty french toast doughnut, and bought a few to take home and enjoy (flavors are as follows: chocolate peanut butter, grasshopper, sprinkles, and coconut).

Flu shot season has arrived at the pharmacy, and so I'm providing immunizations on a daily basis. I love it. Today is my last day off this week. (I had a five day weekend...I wish would have known earlier, and could have come home for the long weekend!) I'll probably be a quarter of a century old by the time I get another day off!

Summer as a Seattleite

It's been awhile since my last update, and I'll admit, I wasn't sure I'd continue with the blogging after rotations finished. However, I think that it's an easy way for me to show everyone back home what I've been up to...so here's another entry! You may have noticed a change in the blog's title - as I'm no longer writing about rotations, I felt it was only appropriate to substitute one of my favorite life quotes in place of "Rotation Adventures!" So here it goes...I'm currently sipping a soy mocha at my favorite local coffee shop, El Diablo Espresso Cafe in Queen Anne and happily reflecting back on the past three months.

I suppose I might as well start at the begining - on Friday, June 4th, Dad, Mom, Ellie, and I left home with a 17' U-Haul truck filled to capacity and my trusty Alero to begin the ~1800 mile journey. We took four days to make the drive, and had some good times along the way. Here are a few pictures from our roadtrip:

Shakes at Kroll's in Fargo (after arriving in Fargo around 11:30pm...never too late for shakes!)
Driving across the great state of North Dakota

Staying classy in Montana :)
Feeling a little goofy in Idaho (or was this Montana? I forget.)Coeur d'Alene, Idaho = beautiful
Welcome to eastern Washington!


We arrived in Seattle on Monday, June 7th, and had the U-Haul unloaded and returned in less than an hour and a half. How's that for efficient?! Apparently the Korstens are moving machines :)
Luckily, I have my own private entrance along the street, which made hauling furniture and boxes in very easy.
Mom in the U-Haul, still mostly full even after taking out the Queen size mattress set
Not too much later, all we had was an empty truck!

After a lot of driving and unloading, we spent the next four days touring Seattle. Mom, Dad, & Ellie didn't fly home until that Friday, which meant we had lots of time for sightseeing!

Space Needle in Seattle Center
Top of the Space Needle
Base of the Space Needle
Pike's Place Market
Original Starbucks

Original Seattle's Best

Elliot Bay - part of the Puget Sound, downtown Seattle (nice bangs, Ellie)Washington coast


Sometimes we're a little weird. I suppose that's a Korsten trait :) Here Ellie and I are pretending to be ferocious predators. I think we succeeded.Dinner one night at the Rusty Tractor in a small town on the way back from the coast. One of the appetizers they served was rattlesnake eggs. Here we are sitting on the rusty tractors parked outside.

Troll under the Fremont Bridge - he's got a VW Beetle clutched in his left hand. Very neat creature.
Gasworks Park on Lake Union. To the right of the Needle is where Queen Anne is located (my neighborhood!)
After my family members flew back to MN, I devoted most of my time to studying for pharmacy board exams. Luckily, all of my studying paid off, because I'm now a licensed pharmacist in the state of Washington!

I have also spent some quality time unpacking, decorating, and making my apartment feel like home. Here's a virtual tour of my new place:
Welcome to APT 10! (private street entrance)
View from street entrance - living room with huge walk-in storage closet, also looking into kitchenLiving room/study area as seen from kitchen
Dining table in kitchen space
KitchenLiving room as seen from study area

Study area - notice the door behind the chair that is my entrance to the rest of the apartment building. I've also got a door for magical little creatures that may want to visit sometime.My house plant - I've kept it alive for two whole weeks now! Looking down the hallway off the living room - bedroom is the only door on the left, walk-in hallway closet is the first door on the right, bathroom is the second door on the right, and a nice linen closet is at the end of the hallwayHallway walk-in closet - plenty of room for clothes, shoes, and accessories :)BedroomAnother closet - this one in the bedroom
All of the doors have glass doorknobs - I love the classic touches that the apartment building has
Bathroom - love the tile in here!
So now that you've seen my new place, I suppose I should tell you all of some of my wonderful adventures in the Pacific NW. Here's a very brief summary of some of the things I've done...

June:
*Hiking in the Snoqualamie Pass to Lodge Lake with Justin and his friend, Anna

*Phil and Annalicia Niemela stopped by to visit on their way home to MN after a year living and teaching in Taiwan - so great to catch up with them! *June also brought with it a newfound love for happy hour food at a restaurant called the Matador in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle. Amazing nachos for only four bucks, washed down with an ice cold Dos Equis Amber served with a slice of lime...yummy!

July:
*Spent of the Fourth of July holiday on a boat on Lake Union with some wonderful people (Justin and his parents, parents' friends (the boat owners), our friends Nikki and Mike, and myself). While it was a drizzly holiday during the day, we still had a great time. Cruising in the boat, we passed the famous 'Sleepless in Seattle' house, Chahuly's glass blowing studio (the artist that made the crazy hanging chandeliers at Mayo Clinic), and Bill Gates' home along Lake Washington. We all enjoyed ourselves playing games, eating lots of great food, and enjoying the fireworks from a great place on the water. Luckily, the skies had cleared up by the time the firworks began, and we were able to view the show from the bow of the boat while cozzied up in blankets and sipping wine. Fantastic evening.

*Lots and lots of time was spent cramming for exams...so glad that stress is over!

*Hiking with high school friend, Kyra, at Ollalie State Park/Twin Falls in the Snoqualmie Pass, with a stop at Snowqualmie Falls on our way home
*Ferry trip across the Puget Sound to Bainbridge Island, where a friend of Justin's hosted a bonfire. Yummy smores, good friends, and fantastic views made for a fantastic evening.
(Justin, myself, and Nikki on the ferry, with Seattle in the background)

*Every day, I find something new that I love about the area. Just a couple of blocks from my apartment, I have an incredible view of Seattle. Here's what I get to see from Kerry Park...
August:
*Toured the Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery in Woodinville, WA (about a half-hour drive away)
*Spent an evening enjoying the sunset over the Olympic Mountain Range from the top of the Space Needle*Spent four days working at a Safeway on Bainbridge Island, where Safeway put me up in a hotel so that I wouldn't have to commute via the ferry every day. It was absolutely wonderful - spent my mornings enjoying breakfast out on the hotel patio, sipped coffee from a great local coffeshop located on a marina, took in views of the water from two different state parks on the island, enjoyed a short hike before work one morning, and spent 40 hours working at an incredibly busy store

*After my stint on Bainbridge, I had a four-day weekend to enjoy. I decided to take a roadtrip, and drove down to southern Oregon to visit my good friend, Steve, who is a fellow NDSU pharmacy grad. We had a great time catching up on life (Steve recently proposed to his sweetheart, Suzy, who said YES! So excited for that wedding next summer!), and Steve did a great job as tourguide.
Walking up RoxyAnn hill (mountain? not sure...but it offered a great view of Medford!)
Troon Vineyards/wine tasting in the Applegate ValleyOregon Caves National Monument
Forests of northern California - we went to visit the redwoods, and spent some time enjoying the great outdoors. Oh, and this is Steve's new ride - pretty sweet, if you ask me! I thoroughly enjoyed my time as passenger in this vehicle :)
Hiking through California redwoodsCalifornia coast!

We even spotted this guy, who most likely is a pirate (who else looks out to sea using binoculars with a parrot on his shoulder?!) Steve and I - pharmacist friends!
*After I arrived in Medford, I found out that I wasn't scheduled to work the following Monday or Tuesday...which gave me a six day weekend - practically a vacation! So I decided to take my time driving back to Seattle. Upon leaving Medford, OR, I headed northeast to visit Crater Lake (a 5-6 mile wide lake that was formed after an ancient volcano collapsed into itself and filled with water...it was incredible!) I then went west until I reached the coast, and headed north along Highway 101. I spent two days driving home, stopping many times along the way to enjoy the views, watch a sunset, take a morning stroll along the beach, do some outlet mall shopping, eat ice cream and squeaky cheese curds at the Tillamook Cheese Factory, and walk out to a lighthouse. It was a great spontaneous vacation!

Crater Lake (Oregon)


Sea Lion Caves, just north of Florence, OROregon Coast
Sunset over the Pacific Ocean, on a beach between Newport and Lincoln City, ORMorning stroll on the beach in Lincoln City, OR
Oregon CoastHaystack Rock - Cannon Beach, OR
Walking out to the lighthouse at Cape Disappointment (Washington)
Lighthouse at Cape Disappointment (WA)

And that just about sums up my summer as a Seattleite! While I do miss home and family/friends back in MN, I've been enjoying myself out in WA. Here's a brief summary (definitely not all-inclusive) of some of my favorite things about Seattle that I've discovered thus far:

*Lights twinkling on the water at night
*Mountains everywhere in the distance
*El Diablo espresso cafe
*The dueling piano bar at the bottom of Queen Anne
*A fabulous view of downtown Seattle/Elliott Bay from Kerry Park, two blocks away from my apartment
*The sight of Mount Rainier on crystal clear days
*Viewing sunsets from the Needle
*Apt 10 :)
*Late night meals at the 5 Spot
*Never being more than a block or two from a coffee shop
*Pike's Place
*Watching the glass blowers at the studio on the corner of 5th & Bell
*Browsing through the music selection at Easy Street Records