GuadaLaHabra

I drove to sea tac to drop my oldest daughter off at the airport to catch her flight back to Los Angeles. We had spent almost 6 days with her over the thanksgiving holiday. Her flight was at 12:45 pm and I was on the road back to Olympia by noon.
 I spent the afternoon catching up on my real estate affairs and pacing myself for a return trip to Tacoma later that evening. I have been "north" to the airport, Tacoma, and Seattle 6 times in the last week 6 days.
Our evening engagement was a "going away, drinks and dinner affair" tucked under the Tacoma narrows bridge at a pretty cool little eatery called, Boathouse 19.
My wife had been telling me about a young couple who both worked for her. She kept saying to me, that they reminded her of us when we had first come to Olympia to start a life of our own.
I had never met Kevin and Wendy, I was tired and cranky when we jumped in the car to make our way to dinner and send off Kevin and Wendy.
The turn out was maybe 20 people, all fellow work employees and I met Kevin and Wendy when we first walked in the door.
Let's see if I can explain their situation.
They came to Tacoma in April of this year from southern California. They both got hired on at Trader Joe's and had a 2 year old son. Lars, I believe is his name. They are both from southern California and I am guessing in their mid twenties. A month after getting here, Wendy finds out she is pregnant with their 2nd child.
Later in the evening, Wendy was wandering around mingling with her guests and stopped by to have a chat. I said "so you and Kevin are from southern California, where exactly ?" She she said she was from Whittier and my comeback to Whittier is always, Oh shittier, which is right up the road from garbage grove. She said "yeah shittier, but I went to school in GuadaLaHabra". I laughed from the belly because I had not heard GuadaLaHabra before.  Kevin grew up in Yorba Linda, which I don't have a cynical slang name for (yet).

Her newborn 1 month old son was being passed around the table as we chatted and I was so impressed with their story.
Kevin wandered over later, so I had a chance to speak with him.
He started talking about the townhouse where they lived, in what he called, the 2nd toughest crime ridden area of Tacoma. He said his calls to the police department alone, had raised the crime stats on Trulia's roughest crime areas of Tacoma. He was a real gentleman. Kevin and his wife were a very spirited young couple.
He had to work the next day until 1:00 pm. Then head home to pick up his family,  they were catching a red eye flight that night to Charlotte North Carolina, to start a new life, again.
They got here in April and are now leaving at the end of November. 8 short months in Washington. They won't see the mid winter months and just how long it can rain up here before we see signs of summer.
They both have jobs at Trader Joe's in Charlotte waiting for them and have secured housing.
I don't know if I'll ever see them again and sometimes that is just how life is. But, I felt their spirit and I couldn't help reflect on our bold move to the northwest 24 years ago.
So much irony here.
That same day, earlier, I could not get my own daughter on a plane and back to Los Angeles fast enough. Jill and I couldn't get out of southern California fast enough.
As for Kevin and Wendy, my wife was right, they did remind me of us when we were young. So nice meeting you Kevin and Wendy ~ I like your chances.

Best Wishes Kevin and Jill

It's a Great Life !



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