Vashon Island

In August 1993, I was a very different girl. 28 years old. Addict, alcoholic, chain-smoking, Wild Child. Basically, I was a hot mess.
My 19-yr-old boyfriend, Ken, and I had just been kicked out of the trailer where we were staying in Okeechobee, FL, and we were trying to get back to Girdwood, Alaska.
Three days on a Greyhound bus had gotten us as far as Seattle. We were tired, hungry, broke, homeless, and - unknown to me at the time - already a few weeks pregnant.

There was a Youth Hostel on Vashon Island where I had stayed for the very first time a few months earlier on my first trip to Girdwood. The woman who ran it agreed to let us sleep in a tarp tent on the lawn for a week if we would fix breakfast for the other "campers" each morning and wash the Company Van each evening.

Each day of that week, we took the ferry across to the Seattle Waterfront where I played my flute and made beaded jewelry as we  begged for food and spare change. By the end of the week, we had about $150.
I met a woman who had just opened her business called Plane Tickets. The money we had was enough for one ticket to Anchorage and after a phone call to the Crow Creek Mercantile in Girdwood, the assurance that I had a job waiting for me, and a promise from the owner of the Merc that my first paycheck would be sent directly to the woman, she gave me TWO plane tickets and wished us well.**

My plan was to return Ken to Girdwood and continue pursuing my dream of hitch hiking across the country so that I could get to Cape Cod. I wanted no ties. No responsibilities. I wanted to follow the Grateful Dead, float on an LSD cloud, and drift along with the breeze.

Little did I know that my whole world was about to flip completely upside down. In the best possible way.

Just two months later - by the end of October - I was back in Vegas, living at my mom's and working at Home Express. I was clean, sober, and marveling at the little person growing in my belly. The rest, as they say, is history.

I have often thought of Vashon Island, but have never returned. It's always felt a little like Brigadoon to me. Much too magical to be real.


Next weekend I am going back for two nights. The Youth Hostel is closed now, but I will visit the place where it was, explore the island, and maybe even kayak or SUP a bit.


I am nervous. I am excited. I am grateful.
I wonder what magic it has in store for me this time.....




**I paid back the woman at Plane Tickets, sent her a picture of  my newborn daughter, and kept in touch with her for a couple years. Her business took off and the last time I tried to reach her (1995), she was vacationing in Spain.

I did it!

19 years ago, I had a dream. It seemed a far off glimmer of something just beyond my reach, but it was fun to walk around with that little "maybe someday..."

Wherever I was in the country, wherever I was living, I had this... pull... to live by a beach. To be near the ocean. To live in Oregon.

I had no idea how it was going to happen, I just knew it would.

This blog tells of the realization of that dream.

I am here. On the beach. In Oregon. I have a job and a place to live. I am happy. I did it.

And now I turn my attention towards seeing that my daughter gets to live her dream, too. Hers is different than mine. Hers is to live in Japan. She will come here for Christmas and then off she goes.

Every dream is different. Every dreamer comes from different circumstances and situations. My dream may not be yours (or maybe it is).

I am not special. I am not rich. I've made mistakes (a lot of them) and I've had some very dark times. I've been scared. I've had doubts. But I never let go of that dream. That glimmer always sat somewhere deep inside. And now I'm here.

So... whatever your dream may be. Life on the beach, to be in Japan, to sail the world, to be a housewife/househusband, to teach, sing, run, dance... whatever it is. Go for it! Let them call you crazy. Let them shake their heads.

Follow your heart. Use your head. Do the work.

Go ahead. Live the life you've imagined.

PS: Thank you to everyone who supported me through all of the crazy dreaming, planning, and changing and thank you for reading about this adventure. It's been good to have a place to share it all and keep it all.

Tonight I may even sit down and read it all again, from the beginning. :o)

Sometimes, you just.... know

It begins with a series of events:

I stumble upon Pacific City and decide to move here.

While camping by the river in Idaho with Rachel and Heather, I tell about my dream to live by the ocean and run a B&B or small Inn.

On my very first day here, my housemate mentions a Help Wanted Sign at one of the Inns and says, "maybe you can get a job there doing housekeeping or something. Hey. It's money"

During my first visit to Stimulus Coffee Shop, I ask a woman (about my age) where I could go to hang out and meet people and she answers, "The Delicate Palate Bistro and Martini Bar. It's very relaxed and classy, the food is excellent, and the people that work there are great."

On my second day here, I wander over to check out the Delicate Palate. It's closed as I arrive and the owners are just pulling out of the parking lot and tell me that it opens later. When I ask about dress code, the woman answers, "It's kick off the sand, throw on some shoes, maybe some clothes, and come inside. We're on the beach!" I like her instantly.

When I turn around, I see the Help Wanted sign in the window of the attached Pacific City Inn and step into the office. The man sitting behind the desk gives me an application and in the time it takes me to fill it out, he tells me all about the family (his name is Greg and he is the owners' son's partner of 12 years), the business (they own the Inn and Bistro/Martini Bar), and says that he has a feeling about me. I like him instantly!

I am hired the next day. It's a small business with a very small staff and everyone helps out where needed. I clean rooms in the mornings and then help out washing dishes in the bistro in the evenings. I love it!

And yesterday, I was offered a new opportunity at the Inn.

What I Get: I get an apartment over the bistro. A fully furnished bedroom, living room, bathroom (with a TUB!), and kitchen, cable TV (nice, big television), internet, utilities, laundry facilities, and a cat. All Free Of Charge.

What They Get: I agree to answer the phone or office bell if it should ring between 10pm and 10am (which rarely happens), 5 nights a week. I also agree to let them use the hall closet as wine storage for the bistro and the front bedroom of the apartment for the other Night Manager (Greg) to use as sleeping space on the two nights that I am not on duty. (I can close off a door that separates that room from my living room/bedroom area)

I will continue to work my regular "day job" duties for earned wages.

They tell me that they had a man living in the apartment and doing what I will be doing and that he was very happy there for 5 years. The reason he is no longer around is that he had to return home to care for a sick parent. They have tried it a few other times with no luck, but then added that they just have a feeling about me.

I said, "Yes. Sometimes, you just.... know."

I move in on Saturday. :o)

Week One

It's hard to believe that it was a week ago that I loaded up my Budget Rental SUV and brought myself and my stuff to Pacific City. So much has already happened and I feel like I need to catch up with myself.

I have a job, a Food Handler's Card, a Library Card, a Bus Pass, and will go to get my Drivers License when I have an actual day off (maybe Tuesday? Wednesday?). I jumped into work with both feet during a very busy time, just as three staff members quit from what was already a small working crew. In addition to cleaning rooms in the mornings, I have been helping out with dishwashing in the evenings. The rest of my time is spent walking around town to familiarize myself with all that PC has to offer!

The discovery of the day yesterday was Twist Wine and The Ribcage BBQ. Both are owned by a couple named Chenin and Sean Carlton and both are delicious.

I also bought a life jacket and a tiny hex wrench (to install the fins on my board.. I lost the one that came with it when I left Portland) and I did find time to finally put my new SUP on the river and paddle around for a bit. It's smaller than the boards I am used to (which will be a plus when I develop the confidence to try surfing with it), but I love it and it is easy for me to carry and move around. Considering the fact that I haven't been on a board all summer, I did very well. Most important... I didn't fall in. :o)

My next challenge is to find my space in the kitchen and obtain the items I need to prepare and cook my food at home. Right now it's a little tricky because in addition to the other two housemates that live there, my landlord is also staying there and uses the kitchen as his work space. I'll also get some pans so that I can fix quick and easy meals as I dash in and out of the house between jobs and adventures.

Also, as much as I love the social energy of spending my mornings at Stimulus Cafe, I can do without the daily mocha and can save money by just fixing coffee at home. As for the free wifi, I have discovered that I can be my own Personal HotSpot via my iPhone (keeping a careful eye on usage amounts!) for catching up with my laptop (still my preferred way to browse and such) when at the house and can wander over to the library or to work for free wifi at any time.

Mostly, I have to remind myself that I just made a ginormous change in my world and that I've only been here a week. Less than a week, really. It's OK that I'm still figuring things out.

I've got time. Plenty of time.

The New Breed in PC?

I'm noticing something interesting. There seems to be a wave of people who recently moved to Pacific City, (myself, included, naturally) and the stories are similar.

Me - from.... everywhere, ready for a change, was going to move to Portland, but stumbled upon PC. Found the room to rent and a job and really like the people and area.

Grace - was living in Portland, needed a change. Drove to the beach, found a room to rent and a job that day and stayed. Likes the people and the area.

Yasmine - from... everywhere, ready for a change. Was driving through, stopped. Likes the people and area.

Jason - from Idaho. Was going to move to Portland with his girlfriend but they came to Pacific City first and found a house and jobs that first day, so they stayed because they like the people and the area.

And it goes on.....  Even the ladies at the Library commented on the sudden influx of people moving to the area. We all seem to have been drawn here, unexpectedly. All surprised at how friendly everyone is and how beautiful it is here. We are the New People. Interesting.


As for how my 3rd day at work went, it was fun and exhausting.

Since we only had one check-out, I wasn't needed for housekeeping. This normally would have meant a day off, but the Bistro dishwasher quit, so I was called to fill in for the evening. I took advantage of the morning off to run up to Tillamook and try for my Oregon Drivers License. I missed one too many questions on the written test, so I will study more and try again on my next day off.

Working in the Bistro was fun! I found out that two of my coworkers are from Alaska. One grew up in Barrow and her folks had a summer house here, so she moved here about a year ago. The other one is from Eagle River.

This weekend is the Blowsion Jet Ski Surfslam here. The area will be flooded with people (again) and we will be hopping at the Inn. Next weekend should be quiet and then we have the Surfing Competition in two weeks.

At some point, I'm hoping that I catch up to myself enough to maybe read this whole blog and remind myself of how amazing all of this has been... and continues to be.

Day... Two??

I arrived at work yesterday as instructed and my boss said, "Oh, good! You're here!" He then went on to tell me that we had four check outs and that I was on my own for the day. He then informed me that he and his wife were heading North to Tillamook and would be back in the afternoon. He left me the keys to the building, the phone for the office, and a check for the "meat delivery guy", and off he went.

So, I spent the next 4-1/2 hours doing laundry, cleaning rooms, and saying goodbye to the 4 guests as they left Pacific City. It was wonderful and strangely comforting. Even though it was only my second day on the job (and I still hadn't been actually "trained"), it felt like ... home.

When the owners returned, they thanked me for jumping in so bravely and told me that they would love to use my office skills in the winter to consolidate several of the positions. Basically, it was "if you want to work, we've got work". They also talked about the apartment that they have over the Bistro and  we discussed the possibility of me renting that from them starting in November.

I like that idea very much. I am very grateful that I was able to rent the room at the Adventure Beach House and had a place to land when I arrived here, and I like the idea that I've paid my rent for September and October already, but it is not exactly as advertised and not where I want to be long term. I knew that I would be sharing the common areas (bathroom, kitchen, living room) with the other two tenants of the house, and that part of the living room sometimes doubles as retail space for the landlord's Hang Gliding business, but what I didn't know was that the landlord also lives in the house. Sometimes. And sleeps on a mattress in the living room. Or that the retail customers would be entering through the same door that we do. It's one thing to acclimate to the habits and rhythms of roommates, but to have the uncertainty of when the shared space will actually be shared (and by whom) is tricky after so many years of having my space be my space. And, of course, there is that glitch of there being no internet access or television options.

The apartment over the Bistro would be my space. Alone. I like that.

After I was finished at work, I walked over to the Sportsman Pub & Grub and had dinner. It is very much a bar that serves food and there were even Video Lottery machines (look like slot machines) along one wall. The food was good and the staff was friendly. I would eat there again, definitely.
My favorite moment was when I was trying to decide what to drink. I was one coin-flip from choosing between a mojito and a glass of wine when the waitress said, "We aren't very good at them fancy drinks here". That just made me smile.

From there, I walked over to the library and took advantage of their free internet and printing services to obtain my Oregon Food Handlers Card. It's an online test that assures your understanding of food safety procedures and rules. After answering 20 questions, (I scored 100%) you pay $10 and print your card. It's valid for 3 years and makes you eligible to work anywhere that sells food (oh... like, say... a coffee shop.. or bistro). Next I will tackle the OLCC card (which lets me sell and serve alcohol).

For today, I either work or I don't. They didn't have any guests arriving when I left last night, but they also had a dishwasher quit and may need me there. If I have the day off, I will take the bus up to Tillamook and see about trading my NY drivers license for an OR one and wander around up there for a while. They have a UPS Store and a Fred Meyers! Woot Woot!

Back to Real Life

Man. It was hard to get out of bed this morning. Like, "just 5 more minutes, mom" hard. But I'm determined to keep up my morning walks to Stimulus for my connected time and sunrise at the beach for as long as I can.

So... the reason I'm feeling so slug-like this morning is because yesterday was my first day of work since June 15th.

I arrived at the Pacific City Inn to start my shift and was told that ALL 16 units needed to be cleaned. Luckily, there are three of us on staff, but still... 16 is a lot (and pretty much never happens. Well, except on my first day back to work in 2-1/2 months). One coworker left at 2, at 4 the boss fed myself and Tess, then she left and I dragged my tired old body through the last room on the list. Oh.. most of the rooms are the simple type room with two beds and bathroom, but 6 of them are full suites with 3 beds in two rooms and a kitchenette. (I got those rooms...sigh)

Just as I was about to run out of steam, my boss grabbed me and asked if I would be willing to help out in the kitchen for an hour or so as the dishwasher was a No Show and he couldn't get anyone else. Of course I said, "sure! show me what to do!" and jumped in to help. The best part of it was that the chef was playing The Pogues. That was fun.

At 6pm, I was finally set free as the chef's friend came in to relieve me. I walked home, changed my clothes, and went straight to the beach to sit on my favorite log and stare at the ocean.

I ended my day with a stroll through town to get some supplies from the Town Market and check out the library. It was closed for the holiday, but it's really beautiful and I am looking forward to exploring it more this afternoon.

As I was returning  home, I saw that Fat Freddy's Diner was still open and the SHAKES sign called to me. The girl behind the counter was adorable and told me that Peanut Butter/Oreo is her personal favorite (and specialty). How could I say no?

As she was making my shake, the owner started to tell me that he had just sold the store to his new managers and was going to retire after today. As he mentioned names (like I would know the people), I kept saying, "I just moved here two days ago. I don't know anyone", yet he would continue as if just the telling would be history enough for me to feel part of the family.

Sitting at the table was a woman who welcomed me to the town and told me she had moved here a year ago "from everywhere". She echoed the words I have heard from everyone I've met... "it's a great place to live".

I have to agree with my new friend. It's a pretty spectacular place to be and I have yet to meet a person that I don't like.  I wonder what today will bring....