Things I’ve Come to Love About Living in Seattle #01: Having a Home Team 💙💚

How a girl from Hawaiʻi who never cared much about football became a Seahawks fan and found a little piece of home along the way.

Growing up in Hawaiʻi, I was never much of a football fan. I was more concerned with tan lines, spending time with my friends, and hula. Hula was my sport of choice, if we’re being honest. 😂

It’s not that football wasn’t part of my life. My dad is from Pennsylvania and has always been a big Philadelphia Eagles fan. My mom grew up cheering for the Patriots, and my brothers all had their own favorite teams. Football was always on in our house. I just never really understood the appeal.

The one exception was University of Hawaiʻi football.

Back when we still called them the Rainbows, my friend Brandi and I would go to games at the old Aloha Stadium. We’d cheer for the Bows, hang out with friends, and have the best time.

I understood that kind of football. Cheering for your school, your community, your home. There was something fun about everyone rooting for the same team.

But the NFL? I could take it or leave it.

From Go Bows to Go Hawks

I moved to Washington in 2012, and my husband, who grew up in Seattle, was already a lifelong Seahawks fan. So naturally, I became one too.

At first, it was just something we’d watch together. Russell Wilson was the quarterback, the Seahawks were getting really good, and suddenly I found myself actually paying attention to football. Before I knew it, watching the Seahawks had become our Sunday family tradition.

Every Sunday, we’d head to my brother-in-law’s house, where the whole family would gather to watch the game. Everyone showed up in their jerseys, faces painted, ready to cheer on the Hawks. It was practically a weekly family commitment, and I loved every minute of it. I was officially invested.

I remember the Legion of Boom, Richard Sherman’s famous tip that led to the interception against the 49ers, and all the excitement surrounding that incredible season. (I even had a hat that said “You mad, bro?” after Richard Sherman’s famous line. 😂)

Who was I? The girl who once couldn’t care less about NFL football now owned Seahawks gear and planned her Sundays around games.

And then came 2014.

The Year Seattle Won the Super Bowl

I was pregnant with my son when the Seahawks won their first Super Bowl.

I remember going to games pregnant, cheering along with everyone else, and being so excited that my son would be born the same year the Seahawks became Super Bowl champions. But what I remember most wasn’t even the game itself. It was the parade after the Super Bowl.

Seattle was celebrating its first Super Bowl victory, and there was absolutely no way we were missing it.

So there I was, heavily pregnant, standing outside in the freezing February cold with what felt like the entire state of Washington. An estimated 700,000 people showed up that day. It was freezing. I was uncomfortable. And honestly, probably a little miserable. But still, I wouldn’t have missed it for anything.

Because looking around at all those people, seeing the excitement, the pride, and the pure happiness that this team had brought to the city, I felt something I hadn’t really experienced since moving away from Hawaiʻi.

A sense of belonging.

I actually get a little emotional thinking about it now.

That Feeling of Home

One of the things I love most about Hawaiʻi is the pride people have in where they’re from.

There’s such a strong connection to the islands, the culture, the community, and the people. It’s something I’ve always carried with me, even after moving away.

And no, I’m not comparing being a Seahawks fan to the cultural identity and connection that comes with being from Hawaiʻi. But there was something familiar about that energy.

Looking around and seeing thousands of people who were just as proud, excited, and happy to be part of something together. Strangers high-fiving. Everyone wearing the same colors. An entire city celebrating like one big family.

I think that parade might have been one of the first times Washington truly felt like home to me.

Not because it replaced Hawaiʻi. Nothing ever will. But because I was beginning to feel that same kind of connection to the place where I was building my life.

Full Circle, All These Years Later

Fast-forward to a few weeks ago. My friend Brandi came to visit, and we went to a Seahawks game together. Yes, the same Brandi I used to go to UH football games with at Aloha Stadium all those years ago.

From cheering for the Bows in Hawaiʻi to cheering for the Seahawks at Lumen Field in Seattle. Different stadium, different team, a few more layers of clothing. 😂

But the same friend and the same excitement of being there together. It made me think about how much life has changed since those days, and how many wonderful memories I’ve made here in Washington.

And now, after 14 years of living here, I’ve gotten to experience two Seahawks Super Bowl victories, incredible playoff runs, and more game days than I can count. My collection of Seahawks gear has also grown significantly. I’m not entirely sure how that happened, but here we are.

It’s More Than Football

One of my favorite things about living in Seattle during football season is how the whole city gets into it.

Blue Fridays, Seahawks flags flying outside homes, jerseys everywhere you look, and the excitement that builds before a big game.

There’s just something really special about having a home team. And I think that’s one of the things people don’t always think about when they’re moving somewhere new.

It’s not just the house you live in, the neighborhood you choose, or the things you can do nearby. It’s the community you become part of. It’s the traditions you pick up, the memories you make, and those unexpected moments when you look around and realize that somewhere along the way, this place started feeling like home.

Hawaiʻi will always have my heart. But Seattle has certainly earned a piece of it, too.

And having a home team to cheer for? That’s definitely one of the things I’ve come to love about living here.

Happy Blue Friday, and Go Hawks! 💙💚

This is #01 in my series, “Things I’ve Come to Love About Living in Seattle.” I moved here from Hawaiʻi in 2012, and over the years, I’ve discovered so many things that make Seattle and the surrounding Pacific Northwest special. I’m sharing those experiences one story at a time - from the big moments to the little everyday things that make a place feel like home.