wendy wanders washingtonward

I met Mia Navarro during a summer orientation for soon-to-be freshmen at USC. We hit it off in record time, nanoseconds. In a very unusual display of commitment, I managed to actually keep in touch with her over email for the remainder of the summer. The week before school began, I bumped into her and her mother on campus; delighted with this happy accident, we shared a meal at the Sizzler on Figueroa, watched a movie in her mom's hotel room, and formally commenced a super great friendship that carried through all 4 years at USC, including many a music class shared, mucho hangout time at the Catholic Center, the beginnings of my donut addiction, varied and crazy boyfriends, and, finally, becoming bona fide roommates in the Sweetest Place Ever (even taking into account the whorehouse across the street, the multiple MazdaTron breakins and window theft, and our weird neighbor Gary).
In short, Mia is a GEM.

She just got married to a really really great guy named Joel on Saturday. I flew up to Washington for 24 hours in the name of 1. support for best friends getting married to great people, and 2. adventure.

What transpired:

Amy drove me to LAX at 0445. My 0610 flight was oversold - so I volunteered to give up my seat, and in exchange got a free r/t ticket! New York, here I come....
I flew to San Fran on a later flight. Despite my strong inclinations to sleep, I spent the whole hour talking to the man who'd pilot my next flight. I love love love getting to know people, and this man was super nice and interesting.

Arrived at SEATAC at 12:47. Ran like the wind to get to the Budget Car Rental desk (24-hour trips require very little by way of luggage!). I secured my very first rental ever, and, internet maps in tow, jetted out of the parking lot and onto the freeway: Mount Rainier ho!

A moment of praise to the little Ford Focus I drove: stereo! oh, music that cometh forth from speakers, yea, even loudly, how I love thee! (note: my stereo was stolen last November, and I have only had my iPod to keep me company musically since then.) oh, power windows! cruise control that i didn't know how to work! plethora of buttons! oh, air conditioner, even though i still preferred rolling the windows down, you were there - you were there for me! Little MazdaTron, i love thee still, but....wow.

The drive to Mt. Rainier was GORGEOUS. So gorgeous. Washington is beautiful. My plans to hike around were curtailed by having taken the later flight...but the drive was stunning and satisfying regardless. The wildflowers were in bloom!!
Mount Rainier is here. Underneath that really big foggy cloud. Seeing so much beauty there and on the way back made up for the fact that my Rainier pilgrimage was one of faith that the mountain was there, unconfirmed by actual vision.
I also stopped at this super-cool iron sculpture garden i saw on the way back. love it.
I sped back to get to Tacoma in time for the wedding (and the timing was perfect - I changed in the car, and voila! ready!). The wedding was a traditional Catholic one, and the mass was interesting and beautiful. Mia was radiant. I was delighted that the final hymn we sang for the processional was 'Joyful Joyful, We Adore Thee' - the lyrics are so cool and the music super-inspiring. High five, Beethoven.

I wouldn't really recommend going to weddings solo, but I had a pretty great time regardless of my hmmmm....wow-i-definitely-came-alone status. The reception took place at the Marriot; the dinner was excellent, the conversation at our table very engaging, and the dancing afterwards way fun.
When I left, I was delighted by the friendliness and humanity of the girl working the front desk at the hotel; she mailed a postcard to my dad for me, and, after chatting we chatted for a bit, gave me some bottled water from the gift shop because i was kinda dying of thirst.

I slept in the backseat of the rental car until 0417, when I woke up a bit foggy and cramped and proceeded to drive back to the airport.

Theme of the weekend: joy, for sure.