At this point, I would say our plan is fluid, loosely based around a few places that we might be interested in exploring. The initial two months is really the litmus test. IF that works well, then the rest of the plan can fall into place. Oregon is an easy starting point for us. We are well familiar with Portland, having operated a business there for almost 14 years. We own a lovely old Craftsman home in one of the historic districts that we operate as a legal B&B. For years we’ve enjoyed spending vacations there or popping up for a weekend. There is so many things that we love about the area. I love the trees. It sounds silly, but we are coming from a place with cactus, so it’s quite a change. That and greenery… and rain….
Don’t get me wrong. Arizona has tremendous thunderstorms that I absolutely love. There is nothing as exciting as watching a wall of water approaching, accompanied by dynamic lightning and thunder, after you’ve endured over 30 days of +110 degrees. It’s like drinking a cold glass of water after trying to eating something that is burning your tongue. You’re still in some pain, but you feel the relief. Desert monsoons are something we all anticipate with excitement….at least my family does. Even the “Haboobs” are intense.
Maybe that’s what’s we’re trying to get away from. “Intense”. Life here seems to be intense. It’s physically hot. You can’t even walk your dog in the summer without the fear of melting his paws off. Everything is far.. literally the city is laid out in square miles. So, it’s at least a mile to the corner store. We are always on the go and it seems difficult to connect with people. It takes a lot of work to build your Village here. Maybe we are wrong to think it’s easier somewhere else. I’m sure it’s probably our fault. I have a tendency to believe that life is what you make it. But for whatever the reasons, we find ourselves sucked back into the same ruts we’ve had forever.
That’s not say we don’t love Arizona. There is a reason I’ve lived here for close to 40 years. It’s beautiful and unique. There is so much natural diversity. And there is an easy, convenience to life here. Everything is structured or becomes structured to accommodate ease of transaction. It’s a relatively new city, so most of it is fairly clean, The streets and highways are wide and open. The landscape is wide and open, and the sunsets are amazing. Yes, it’s the same sun setting everywhere, but there is something about seeing the colors spread out across a stark and beautiful landscape that you can’t help but stop and admire. We love it in so many ways. I do think it will be interesting to see if we do finally chose to come back permanently here. Currently that is our intention.
So, two months in the Pacific Northwest, then back to Arizona for a month or two. The plan includes getting the best of the areas we pick. My husband is trying to accommodate my hatred of intense cold, while at the same time avoid the heat that he hates.. I joke that I’m like Baby Bear from Goldilocks. I like it just right. I don’t think I’m high maintenance. I can handle whatever I have to, but if I get to pick, why not pick what we want? Fall in Oregon is slightly magical...the harvest, the food, the weather. There’s a crispness in the air in the evenings which is lovely.
After a couple months there, we will return for a brief respite in AZ. We are looking at heading to the East Coast for a month or two sometime beginning of next year. I haven’t spent much time on the East Coast, but the one time we went to the coast of South Carolina was amazing. I absolutely love the ocean. It’s soothing to my soul. I love walking in the sand and hearing the waves crash. I love staring at it. I know I’m not alone in this love. What is it about oceans that we are drawn to so much? I still remember stepping into the Atlantic for the first time and being shocked that it was warm. I felt like a baby trying chocolate for the first time. I still can’t get over the ocean being warm. Most of my life has been on the West Coast, and it’s cold. Colder than I like anyways. I’m looking forward to discovering new things like that on this journey of ours.
From the East Coast, we are planning a “hop across the pond”. My husband’s dream has always been to live in Europe. Time after time I’ve told him, “Let’s just do it! Don’t live your life regretting never having done it!”. So that’s the big one. It’s a huge change. It will get us out of our comfort zone in huge way. For me in some ways, that’s the move that will make all of this worthwhile. Portland is easy. It’s familiar and will start us off smoothly, but Europe will broaden our horizons in a whole new way.