What's 16 years in the grand scheme of things, anyway?

I am totally that aging millennial who can't do math and thinks 2004 was 10 years ago, but the truth is, my 20th high school reunion was this year. I graduated college 16 years ago, and it's been since then that I've seen my old college roommate, Lauren, in person. 

Lauren and I drifted apart after college but reconnected because social media actually has some uses beyond filling me with existential dread. Last summer, she went on an Alaskan cruise out of Seattle and wanted to make it a point to come back and spend time here, because even the drive from SeaTac to the port is awe-inspiring. After going back and forth on dates, she planned her trip for Labor Day weekend.

Warning: lots of selfies ahead!

The Aster girls see Seattle

When my mom began planning her trip out here this summer, I was pleasantly surprised that my sister decided to tag along. Mom's been here before, so when I asked Steph what she really wanted to do most, her answer was: Food! The gluten free options in Seattle are hard to beat, so I totally got where she was coming from. I made sure good eats were at the top of our to-do list.

We had a fantastic time sightseeing and eating, and we even managed to get my mom out for a hike!

Mom meets Seattle

Given that it's been three years since Matt and I moved, my mom decided it was finally time to come visit. I know she was a little nervous about the long flight (especially with how chaotic flying can be these days) and coming to the city in general (we've all heard how Seattle has been destroyed in an anarchist uprising and it's basically Mad Max out here), but we finally sat down and chose dates and got her out here!

The visit went really well. I had a long list of things I wanted to show her, especially if this trip ended up being a one-and-done situation, so we had a lot to fit into 4.5 days.