Settling In – Part One

I can’t wait to share some great photos from our road trip from my “real” camera as well as some other adventures since we’ve arrived, but I’m long overdue on an update.

It has been just over a month, and this post was originally set in my mind to be published last week at the one-month mark, but there’s so much to share that it’s taken a little bit longer to get myself organized.

Of course, there’s the good/bad/ugly of it all, but if you wish to skip right to the end, here it is: They all lived happily ever after. (Okay, so far.)

But truly: We have found our home, and we are happy and loved, and, most importantly, we still like each other. If this was a Movie of the Week, it would be: family waves goodbye, major tensions arise at various points throughout the journey, epiphanies are had by all, and the moral of the story is: it’s all okay, in the end, as long as you stick together.

We arrived on Friday, June 15, a day early. Not to surprise anyone or be coy, but we just had a slightly disappointing run at Glacier National Park, so we left early on our last day and made really good time getting into Washington. There really was no reason to spend the money on a hotel room, only to drive three or four hours the next day and be in our permanent home.  We sailed into town around 6:00pm, had dinner with family, and were able to all go to a Father’s Day brunch scheduled for Saturday, which included most of the family. It was actually pretty great to see everyone all at once.

The following week was spent looking for a storage facility and pulling critical items out of our PODS unit.  And a shameless and totally uncompensated plug for those guys. They totally rocked my socks off. I never had a single issue with accessing my unit or being hit with weird fees or unpleasant customer service. I simply asked for whatever I needed and they made it happen. They were the best thing about the move, hands-down.

The priority was obtaining proof of residence to register the kids for school and apply for a drivers license, both of which were essential to, y’know, living here on a full-time basis. Without a lease agreement (because we are living on the good graces of family friends) or utilities in our name, we had to jump through the appropriate hoops with our car insurance company in order to change our residence address on the policy. Out of like 34 items on a list that the Department of Licensing will accept, this was our only option. And it’s important to note that the DOL read your actual *policy* and not just the policy summary or insurance card. They line-by-line read the coverage limits and contractual legalese, and only then do they allow you to proceed. (It’s easer to become a registered voter here, which I personally find disturbing. But I digress.) But now, I’m registered to vote, have my kids set for school, and can legally drive around.

Our little place is 2 bedrooms and one bathroom. We have a full kitchen, washer/dryer, and even an office cubby area. But let me back up. One bathroom. With a shower stall. Thank you baby Jesus and your ten toes for clean, fresh running water. But all four of us trying to fit three bathrooms’ worth of stuff in one spot has been even a bigger challenge than navigating I-5, which does not have feeder roads. Can I get a witness?

So now, were we are, wrapping up Week 5, and we’ve finally adjusted to living on top of one another. It’s an uneasy peace accord, but the cease-fire is holding for the time being.

I will say, with a little wistfulness, that I don’t relish the idea of my kids on their devices in their room while The Guy and I decompress on a binge-watch of Netflix in the living room. That’s not who we are were. We only have one TV, so this has become our normal evening routine. The kids don’t seem to mind, and there’s only so much “family time” that I can process before losing my sanity, so before anyone judges me (and before I really get down on myself) for not doing things with my kids, let me recap what we’ve done and where we’ve been since June 16, in no particular order:

• a surprise birthday party for Ainsley at my sister’s house
• Anacortes-to-Friday Harbor ferry (with lunch & shopping)
• Oak Harbor to visit family
• hiking at Wallace Falls State Park
• a walk around Larabee State Park
• July 4 party
• a day at the playground, then s’mores afterward at my cousin’s house
• Ballard Locks
• Snoqualmie Falls
• Seattle Center / MoPOP
• Pike Place Market

Living on a lake, we are treated to regular sunbathing and kayaking (no, that’s not a joke), but apparently we also average two adventures/outings per week that aren’t part of the Game of Life. The weather has been glorious (between 65º and 85º during the days), and I’m trying to soak it all up before October, when the weather will turn, and we are waiting for balmy summer days again.

We’ve already hosted some friends from our CrossFit box in Texas, which was a much-needed morale boost for us, as well as giving us the privilege to watch them be engaged atop a lookout in Olympic National Park. It was such a magical day.

I look back to the last year that brought me here, and this is exactly where I want to be, doing the things that matter to my life, with the people I love. So, what’s next? Part Two is coming soon. I’ll fill you in on our plans for the next 6 months, one year, and five years. It’s all about living for the future, in the moment, with a goal.