Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA (Pt. 2)

Last week, I shared some of my experiences in the Pacific Northwest.  But as our time at Joint Base Lewis-McChord marched on, I discovered a few things about climate control, coffee and wardrobe selection in a place that receives 48 inches of rain a year.

The thermostat is broken!

Well, no, it’s not really. Like I said, there were about four days in August that got really hot. SO, the thermostat might SAY “COOL” on it, but the chances were your house didn’t have an air compressor.

WHAT?

Yep, no A/C. You WILL survive!

When I lived there it got into the high 90s for almost a week. We opened doors and ran fans. I let the boys sleep on the floor if they wanted to, but they still chose to sleep in their beds.

We drank lots of water and had cold meals. When the kids complained I reminded them that their grandparents lived in Virginia in the 1950s and survived the summers without air conditioning.  They were not amused.

We had two other choices: go to a hotel or buy a single-room A/C standing unit. I had friends that did both. We muscled through at home without air conditioning.

Do you love java?

Well, if you don’t care for coffee, you soon will!

As you are probably aware, Seattle is the home base for the largest coffee franchise in the United States. Before we moved to Washington, I heard that there was a Starbucks on every corner. I thought it was just something people exaggerated to make a point.  I didn’t know that would literally be the case.

The intersection near our home with the closest grocery had strip malls on three of the four corners. The fourth corner was a medical office mall. This one intersection had three Starbucks, a Panera and a Dutch Bros Coffee.  These establishments had lines most of the time.

Oh, and coffee shacks. That was something new to me. A free-standing coffee drive through is a little more common now.  However, not ALL coffee shacks were PG. Be sure to find out which ones have the fully clothed baristas before you drive through with your kiddos (or even by yourself, if you aren’t into that sort of thing). Personally, I am not sure how this isn’t some sort of health code violation.

The Minimalist’s Closet

One thing that was consistent for nine months was the weather.  That had a real impact on my day-to-day living—in more ways than one. Yes, it determined if I could go to the playground with junior today. It also meant I got used to wet, frizzy or flat hair.

However, if you love having a day to trade out your winter clothes for your summer clothes, just pick any old day.  Truly, just pick a day. Are you ready for spring clothes in February? Sure, do that. You prefer April? Then do that.

The fact was it didn’t matter because I always wanted to have jeans and a sweatshirt ready to wear. I sported this leisurewear at least three-quarters of the year. In fact, I kept a sweatshirt in the car, by my purse and at my favorite spot in the house.

I moved to Washington from Missouri, which was hot and pretty humid half of the year. I loved it. Unfortunately, it meant that the summer dresses I wore were rather useless in Washington. I stared at them hanging in my closet for three years after our move.

It was as if I were asking them, “When may I wear you again?”

Eventually I found the solution. When June arrived and I was still chilly much of the day, I decided a sun dress could definitely handle a sweatshirt up top. This way, once the sunshine warmed things up I could take my sweatshirt off—at least for a little while.

If you are a “how few outfits can I keep on this PCS” type gal, you can get rid of as much as you want! A few pairs of jeans, t-shirts and three sweatshirts are good for most of your time in the PNW.

Rain does not mean umbrellas!

I wasn’t joking about getting used to wet hair! Rain jackets were the best option. They kept clothes dry and I could put my hood up to attempt to keep my hair dry-ish. However, the number one reason not to use an umbrella? It immediately branded you as a newbie.

Every region has its “thing” that tells the locals, “That one is not from around here.” Umbrellas were one of those things. I did carry them in the car for church and the doctor’s office, but time for a dog walk? Rain jackets were my most convenient option and didn’t scream, “I’m from Arizona!”

What about your feet? I personally had two favorite pairs of shoes on the regular in the PNW. One MUST buy a pair of rain boots. I liked the ones that went up to the knee, because – socks. Wet socks had to be one of the worst feelings ever.

My other go-to pair of shoes were Crocs that looked like flats. They were comfy down to 50 degrees (in my opinion) and could go with shorts, jeans or a dress. The best part(s)? No socks, so no wet socks. If my feet got wet, I just wiped the shoes out with a towel.  In a pinch even the paper towels in a public restroom worked well.

I had several friends that preferred Birkenstock sandals and some that liked flip flops. Whatever you chose, pick something that you don’t mind getting wet and preferably shoes that don’t require socks.

And remember, there isn’t much snow on the west side of the Cascades. So don’t go out of your way to buy a lot of snow gear. Those rain boots and an insulated rain jacket were fine most of the time. Of course, if you are a snow bunny, you know what to do!

Before we moved to the PNW, rumors of the uniquely simple wardrobe and a love of the warm bitter liquid known as java reassured me that even without the sun, I would have things I would love out West. But wait! There is more! SO much more to the Pacific Northwest!

Join us next week when Ande shares her favorite adventures in the Pacific Northwest.