Holly Phan Photography
Emma’s Edition x American Eagle Outfitters
I grew up the Pacific Northwest. I grew up in a place that’s
forever green and summer days stretched until 9pm. I grew up the South Sound –
where I ran through forest trails in high school cross country practices and
watched football games in the rain. I went to elementary school, middle school,
high school and college in Washington. Even though I knew my home state was
beautiful, I grew up with the intention
to leave this place. So I did.
I graduated from UW and took a job offer that
relocated me to Southern California.
It was my dream. I was beyond ecstatic when I received my offer because
I had always dreamed of living in the Golden State. I craved eternal sunshine
and blue skies year round. I thought I was going to fall in love with Southern
California…
So I went from hiking through evergreens to hiking through the
dry, rugged canyons of Orange County and Malibu. Instead of the seasons
changing for fall and winter, Southern California stayed steadily hot through
September-December. I brunched through Los Angeles, lay out on the beaches of
Laguna, and sat through the traffic on 405, the 5, the 10, and to LAX. Even
though I had so much fun exploring a new city, I realized what I had left
behind at home.
I came home for thanksgiving and realized how much I
missed the autumn season colors and the crispness of the air. It was also 78
degrees in SoCal when I left on Christmas Eve. I came back to the long winter
nights but the comfort of my friends and family. Because of California’s dry, sometimes desert like landscape, I came to realize how beautiful Washington’s evergreen landscape really is. Because of the normal traffic from Orange County to LA, I came to appreciate
Seattle’s distinct neighborhoods and how conveniently close everything was in
the city.
Being away from my hometown gave me the space to
miss Washington and realized everything I loved about it. Ultimately, I came
back much earlier than I thought I would. I thought I would still be in California
or move to another big city, but right now I know I’m where I need to be. I
know I should be in Seattle and in the Northwest.
Leaving Seattle was one of the best decisions of my
life. I would have not fallen back in love if I never left. And I’m so happy
that where I love where grew up.
Outfit details:
Oversized Cardigan – American Eagle Outfitters
Velvet Top (Hot trend for winter!) – American Eagle Outfitters
Jeans – American Eagle Outfitters
Over the Knee Boots – TJ Maxx
Purse – Kate Spade
Thank you for reading!
Love,
Emma
appreciated that your experience validated how I feel and have further convinced me to move thans for sharing and keep killing it emma you're a supastar
Aww thanks for stopping by VJ! I really appreciate you taking the time to read my blog and you're always so supportive! 🙂
Excellent post, Emma! I have lived in Seattle my whole life and have thought about moving to experience something different, but never had that opportunity. Now that I have a son, it's nice to be able to have him grow up the way I did and take him places that I used to go when I was a kid. I think there's something about Seattle that people really love because most new people that I meet aren't originally from here and our city seems to attract a lot of transplants.
BTW- Love your OTK boots! I've been looking for some but it's hard for me to find a pair that aren't too long since I'm petite.
Thank you for stopping by Polly :). I agree! Seattle/the Northwest is an incredible place to live. And its awesome that you get to take your son to all the places you enjoyed growing up.
Thank you! I found these at TJ Maxx! I'm petite too and you have to try on each pair you find because they can easily be too tall. Hope you find a pair!
xo, Emma