A Salute to Bellingham. And Some News.

In 2001, I left home and left town for college.  I wasn't headed to Bellingham.  I was headed to college.  For four years.  To get a degree.  It was kind of a family thing, aunts and uncles told stories from past Western days.  Most said they would move back there in a second if they could.  To college?  Strange.  But.  Then I went to Bellingham.  It took about 5 minutes to realize that this place was kind of amazing.  I first experienced it on a bus with my new college roommate, my bestie named Good Intentions, and our good friend Naivete as we were trying to be "adventurous" and go on the free Tour de Bellingham.  Good for us to use public transit.  And good for us for thinking that we would be walking the streets of downtown, absorbing all this city had to offer.  But in all reality, I hopped off the bus, set up my dorm room, found my classes and my friends and pretty much forgot about the world around for about 2 years.  I did emerge for church, a volunteer thing downtown, and the occasional trip to Haggen.  And we did go to Lakewood to use the (ahem, school sponsored) kayaks and sailboats during the beautiful weather.  Or, to Boulevard to "study."

But, by and by, I was a campus lichen.  Living off the campus community culture, and assuming that with the symbiotic relationship I had with this college life, the campus could equally not live without me.  And I was, and still kind of am, okay with that.  Because that's how you're supposed to feel when you're in college.  Otherwise, campus community would be dead, and you may as well just take online classes straight from high school.  Right?  Anyways. Prior to my third summer of said college experience, I began recognize that when the sun comes out, and you don't have to study for a million tests, write a reflection on ...reflective things, memorize speeches and feel obligated to go to hall council meetings, the college haze lifts, and Bellingham starts to seem fairly...  tempting and, unlike campus, so Freeing.  And so my first Bellingham summer was born.

                                                 
It was a beautiful summer, filled with small silly adventures (cafe' tours, sunsets, Late Night Running Clubs, berry picking, facials & movies for example) and with bigger, more challenging things (difficult summer camp responsibilities, and figuring out which type of ice cream to eat for after dinner, among other things).  And it was FANTASTIC. It was exactly what I thought it might be, it was the glimmer that was peeking out from under the college haze for the past 2 years.  It was the BELLINGHAM IS AWESOME summer.  And it was that summer that thwarted any plans of heading back to Auburn any time soon (sorry mom, I didn't know it at the time!)

                                                   
I'll try to be less detailed about the next stages of my allegiance to Bellingham. But I hope you get the gist that although it wasn't immediate, my love for this city has been growing for a number of years, and my appreciation for this town has evolved and grown in ways I never expected when riding on that city bus 11 shortish/longish years ago.

I love its community.  I love its browns and greens.  I love its activity: not too much, not too little.  I love the runners, the bikers, the climbers, the kayakers, the skiiers... it's such an active healthy town!  I love the farmer's market, the frisbee golf courses, the parks, the cute coffee shops (some more than others of course) and that the mall can seem about a million miles away (although it's less than 4 miles from downtown).  I love the chowder feeds, the Mud Runs, the Turkey Trot, the Jingle Bell Run, the Haggen to Haggen.  I love the outdoor movies, the trails around Padden, the trails around EVERYWHERE, and the fresh donuts at Lafeens.

Pretty much, it has been the perfect place for me to attend college, to live my early adult years, to marry and have a child.  I wouldn't change anything about where I lived if I had the option.  It was the perfect place for then.

And now?  We're moving on, and moving forward.  And really just...  MOVING!  Port Townsend, here we come!  What will we be doing there, you might ask?  Well, Jake worked for 5 wonderful/long/grueling years for the Mount Vernon School District, and he is taking a well-needed break (perhaps for....forever!!) from teaching, and will be working for his dad as an electrician's apprentice, for the company his dad has owned for over 25 years.  Quite the change from teaching math every day to high school students, eh?

It's sad for me to leave this place of many years, where I have transitioned through student, to employee, to wife, to mother.  It's sad to leave my sister, our niece, our friends, our 'life'.  It's difficult to pick up and go, although it is something we agree together as the best decision for our family.  It's hard to actually start the packing process... although we're only moving 2 hours away, and I've been anticipating this move for 6 months!

But, it's a good thing that 'life' doesn't end when you transition from one thing to another, right?  In fact, our lives will only get more rich, more colorful, more full, as we add new dimensions of change.

There are so many changes coming our way:
1) Our marriage will most likely be stretched but deepened
2) Our interactions with the community may need to be more purposeful
3) We'll actually have to do yardwork (!?) at our new home
4) Our routine may not seem very 'routine' for quite some time
5) We'll be traveling via ferry quite often
6) We'll have to drive at least 30 minutes to get to a Costco & Trader Joe's
7) Saying "See ya soon!" to our friends in Bellingham
and the worst thing of all?
8) I need to learn my way around a new city! (not the easiest thing for me, if you know me at all...)

All of these things are challenging in some ways, but also challenge-filled, where they all can be positive characteristics of our move, if viewed with the right perspective.  Jake and I will have to rely on God and each other more than ever,  our community and church involvement will hopefully feel fresh and new, my thumb might turn a slight shade of green, the ferry is a GREAT place for a little shut-eye, (or a stellar bathroom stop) the Costco & Trader Joe's will most likely not be filled to the brim with Canadians, (sorry Canada, you really DO overflow our stores...) and I truly hope we get visitors who are willing to cross the ferry... we'd love to house you!  And lastly, it will be "fun" (heh heh..) to make U-Turns and get the sweaty palms when I really have no idea where I'm driving...  Thank goodness for the GPS.  I really really don't know what I would do without Navigation Nancy.  That's an understatement.

And the best thing of all?

It's these people right here

Jake's family has overwhelmingly welcomed me from the beginning, and have supported us since day one as a couple.  They are loving, unique, funny positive go-getters who love God and who love each other.  We really couldn't ask for better 'neighbors' to live life beside, as we all figure out what in the world we're supposed to be doing every day!  They are inspiring and full of life, and I am thrilled to know them better as we negotiate 'normal' life in the same town.  

And speaking of living...  We are SO undeserving of the place we get to live for the first year!  It's simply the perfect place for Now, and although I'm sad to leave Bellingham and all it comes with...  this little yellow house has helped to give me one more thing to look forward to!  Can you say adorable!?  It has just the right amount of space for our family (and visitors!) and the yard is exactly what we need to enjoy the rest of the summer outside!

I am so happy that school brought me to Bellingham, it has been a beautiful 11 years.  I'm hopeful and prayerful that our next steps will be just as adventurous and special, I can only imagine that Port Townsend has some great things in store for us!

Before I leave... Here's just a little Shout-Out to Bellingham.  I'll never forget you!  (or the people who live there)  :)  ... or the catchy song... seriously, this one might stick with you for a while!