Rich beyond measure

I've imagined for years what it would be like to have free weekends and places to explore at the same time. I've wondered if I could get up in the morning Monday through Thursday and write or read or publish or edit, then spend Friday, Saturday, Sunday in the car with mountains in view. I've wondered if a world exists where I can do all of this and live in an apartment with a bedroom that has a door and closets that hold all the piles we used to throw on the floor for lack of alternative option.

Let me just say we've hit the jackpot here in Pullman. We are rich beyond measure in experience, passion, inspiration, work, and square footage. We are, without a doubt, living the dream.

In the last month, we've driven to Oregon three times. We have family a little south of Portland – family we never before spent a lot of time with because they lived across the country from us. Now they're a breezy 7-hour drive, part of which includes a view of Mt. Hood over the Columbia River. 

On one of those trips to Oregon, we climbed Mt. Hood. We started at midnight so we could see the sunrise at the top. This was my first technical mountain climb, which means it involved snow travel. We bought mountaineer gear a few years ago but the trip we planned was canceled. If you can't tell from the photo, I was seriously pumped. And seriously tired. I should coin a word that means both of those things at the same time.

Three cheers for work space! This is our second bedroom – a.k.a. the gear room / bike room / office. And all those boxes are books that are sad and neglected because we don't have bookshelves yet. Soon, my loves. Soon.