I’ve lived in Olympia since I was about four but I swear it feels like I’ve been here and will stay here forever. I’ve walked the streets of downtown for so long that even today, I can point out to you where I fell when I was a little girl running by Capitol Lake. I can tell you which shop to go to if you’re looking for a perfume that smells like Dragon’s Blood (yes, I’m serious). I can tell you the best spot to sit at in Orca Books if you want to hide from your parents so you can finish your Junie B. Jones book. And I can tell you exactly when and where to be if you want to see the lights shining in the Capitol building on a summer night.

In my mind, Sitara Nath would not be Sitara Nath without Olympia — and Olympia would not be itself without her. These are just a handful of the spots that have made it my true home

1. Traditions Cafe

A warm and popular local spot, Traditions holds a very special place in my heart and Olympia’s heart as well. The diversity of dishes and folk art products is incredibly rich here. The store holds everything from gift bags made with recycled newspapers in Bangladesh to wooden, hand carved toys made by villagers in Oaxaca. Monthly concerts and performances by The Heartsparkle Players, a local playback theater group, have drawn my family and so many other families together in this truly magical spot.

http://www.traditionsfairtrade.com/

2. Capitol Lake

For me, this is a defining characteristic of my city. Beyond the lake, you can see the majestic Capitol Building as you make rounds around the gray-blue water where ducks rest. I’ve been coming to the lake with my family since I was four and know the path by heart. The spots where I’ve fallen, where I held my grandmother’s hand and skipped beside her, where I’ve ran with my dog, and where I’ve found peace when the real world is too much to take in.

3. Orca Books

Orca Books was a big part of my childhood. Even if you ask me today, I can describe the entire structure of the store, where I used to sit as a child (under the Babysitters Club section, to the right of the Ramona Quimby books, and only a few feet away from the Tintin comics), and the smell. The smell of new and used books, of crisp, new pages or crumpled yellow ones, each holding a new story waiting to be read.

http://www.orcabooks.com/

4. Hot Toddy

Truthfully, I’ve never bought anything at this store because if I buy one dress, I’ll have to buy them all. This vintage hotspot has fit-and-flare dresses galore. Styles with polka dots, flashy red colors, and fringe overwhelm you the moment you walk in. Hot Toddy has really taken classic, unique trends and brought them back to life.

http://www.hottoddyboutique.com/

5. Archibald Sisters

If you’re looking for a really unconventional gift in Olympia, Archibald Sisters is the best place to start. It’s a real funky place where you can find some (ahem) X-rated joke material, bath bombs, Superman tin lunch boxes, etc. Get the picture?

https://www.archibaldsisters.com/

6. Psychic Sisters

I’ve made a lot of special memories with my mother here in yet another truly vintage shop. As a used-clothing fanatic, I particularly love their used vintage clothes because they tell so many stories of the people who have worn them before. My mother and I often found ourselves laughing helplessly as our arms and waists got stuck in the size 0 dresses we convinced ourselves we could fit into. But it’s a worthy spot to visit just the same.

http://www.psychic-sister.com/

7. Danger Room Comics

I was a comics kid and to be quite honest, am now a comics adult. I loved the old classics like Archie comics and Tintin graphics. This store has books and comics from the 80’s and beyond — I’m talking about ancient stuff. I always enjoyed finding comics my parents read growing up and experiencing a piece of their own pasts.

http://www.dangerroomoly.com/

8. Sylvester Park

A park that was developed by the founder of Olympia, Sylvester Park is equivalent to the Town Square. A large gazebo stands in the center of the park where, in the summer, jazz and rock bands from all over play weekly concerts. I have so many fond memories of sitting on the freshly mowed grass at the park, listening to the beats of classic rock, and enjoying the view of my community and my city.

Thank you, Olympia, for a wonderful childhood and a beautiful collection of memories I will cherish forever.