My high school best friend lives in Seattle, and every few years I fly out for a visit. We fall back into the same old routines, jokes, and escapades, despite time and distance. I’m fortunate to have old friends like Debs, and this summer, in particular, I welcomed a much-needed (albeit brief) respite from all the drama and uncertainty back home.
This time, I introduced Debs to my new-found love of boating. I reserved a boat out of Carefree Boat Club’s Fishermen’s Terminal dock, and we headed east through Lake Union to Lake Washington.
It was my first time boating in freshwater. Boating on Lake Washington was very different because lakes don’t have tides, and the currents were much weaker than I’m accustomed to. I checked out our anchor and it looked as if it had never been used. Then, when we stopped for lunch on the water by Seward Park, I realized 
why. We turned off the engine, and the boat stayed put! I also found that I could go much faster on the lake than on the ocean, which was awesome. (Debs will vouch for me having a lead foot from the day I began driving).
We watched seaplanes land on Lake Union and checked out the houseboats. On Lake Washington, we did a loop around Mercer Island and saw the Boeing Factory. Heading back, we caught a great view of the Seattle skyline, and I had another new first: filling up the tank.
I still prefer the ocean to lake boating- there’s just something about that ocean air, but it was so fun to try something different and to explore Seattle with Debs from a brand new vantage point.
