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.

Great news:

We’re moving! To Washington!

Ben will join the outdoor recreation staff at Washington State University in Pullman, Wa., next month, and I’ll follow him a few weeks later.

Many of the people close to us know it was a choice between moving to Washington or moving home to Minneapolis. The choice was difficult, but, once we made it, it felt right.

Nearly three years ago, we vowed to be each other’s best friend - best friends with ambitions for big adventures climbing, hiking, and biking, building memories and growing together through shared difficulty and wonder.

So when it came down to it, we opted for the place where we imagine becoming better partners. In part, that meant choosing a place with great access to the kinds of ways we want to spend our time. More than that, though, we needed the freedom to choose how we spend our time. In Washington, Ben won't be gone every weekend, and I can attempt to work for myself, eliminating the two biggest barriers we've faced the last two years.

We’re thankful for friends (family, that’s you, too) who have stuck with us while we’ve lived far away for two years. We're thankful for new friends that have made Kentucky memorable - thankful for your support and love even while we front-loaded that our stay was temporary. We’re confident that, as we met new lifelong friends here, we’ll add to our circle in another state.

I recently reflected on a few older posts, remembering this is an adventure we’ve dreamed about for years. After all the weeks / weekends Ben traveled without me … after feeling the draw of wilder places – off we go!

Well, not quite yet. But it's time to prepare.