I miss fall leaves and brisk wind. I miss hot drinks held in gloved hands. I miss scarves and boots and warm wool coats.

I miss driving in my car with the radio playing my favorite song. I miss smiling cashiers and happy Starbucks baristas.

I miss walking by the Cameo. I miss browsing the shops in Newberg with a cup of Chapters chai in my hand. I miss the quiet simplicity of The Coffee Cottage interrupted only by the sound of children laughing. I miss Jem 100’s milkshakes. I miss the MET, Powell’s, and the Saturday Markets.

I miss looking at Mt. Rainer on a clear day. I miss Pike’s Place Market. I miss the hustle and bustle of people, the smell of flowers, and the cries of the fishmongers. I miss sitting by the water on a park bench eating a sandwich and salad from one of my favorite deli’s.

I miss shopping without a sales person tailing me like a hawk. I miss courteous shoppers and good customer service.

I miss libraries with whispered silence instead of lulled mayhem from children and parents. I miss independent book stores tucked away on quiet streets; their charm and peace and smell take me to places and lands of wonder and excitement.

I miss late night Diary Queen runs, movie nights when we know we should be sleeping, Smash Bros and Legend of Zelda with roommates, and watching TV shows week by week with roommates freaking out and agonizing over what will happen next.

I miss In-N-Out, a good old-fashioned doughnut, Jamba Juice, Cheescake Factory, and Olive Garden. I miss watching doughnuts fry on conveyor belts at Krispy Kreme, seeing real potatoes be chopped for fries at In-N-Out, and lemonade at fountain drink machines.

But most of all I miss the people who will always be in my heart but might always be in different time zones.