Part Deux

Part Deux of the tour took place on Whidbey Island, this magical place Chip gets to call home for six weeks. We explored for two days, hiking, collecting treasures on the beach and eating a pound of mussles while watching the Cavs lose (sorry, Derek- it was close!) at the local sea front bar. One of the best parts of visiting is that now I have a picture in my head when I talk to Chip from Portland. Somehow, it feels better when I can picture the actual places he may be sitting and sights he may be seeing when we talk or when I just picture him going about his day. Of course, Kessler girl was ecstatic to see Chip and is still trying to figure out why her three favorite comrades are all split up right now.



"Profound commitment to a dream does not confine or constrain: it liberates. Even a difficult, winding path can lead to your goal if you follow it to the end." -Paulo Coelho in "Maktub"

Chip and I both have some commitments going on right now, and the path proves to be particularly windy for us the next fifteen months and beyond, but I guess we will keep truckin in liberation.

Tour de PAs

Yup- I am in this boat- blow up for full effect of how much air we had

I was fortunate to be able to visit our friend, Josh (he is a frequent flyer on the blog at this point- you might recognize him) in his new location, Wheeler, OR. Wheeler sits on the Oregon coast- a beautiful spot for sure. We have been spending time in this area on the weekends attempting to take up surfing this past year.

This is Doc- our fearless leader in all things coastal

This weekend we did get a little bit of surfing in. However, the highlights were of a different nature this time. Josh's precepting doctor is a well seasoned practitioner who delivers an unquantifiable amount of services to his community and the surrounding small rural communities as well. His generous nature was obvious this weekend as he took Josh and I under his wing and shared some authentic coastal pastimes. We ate well, laughed often, and enjoyed the beautiful weather on this Memorial Day weekend. Next stop on the tour de PAs, Whidby Island, for a special mid-week weekend with Chip as he currently has Tuesdays and Wednesdays off in the ER. Enjoy the photos below of the coastal weekend.

Josh- student of medicine and so much more these six weeks


Ode to my new favorite boots- perfect for clamming- who knew?!


Ugly little suckers. But, batter and fry them, and they are delightfully delicious

Home Is Where The Heart Is, Right?

This is a little laborious, but follow me for a second here. ...Chip and I just moved last weekend into a new rental here in Portland. It is closer to my work. Chip will be heading out and about around God's green earth for the next 15 months, so no need to split the commuting difference any longer. The move seemed to make sense.

As we ate our first meal at the new pad, we calculated exactly how many times we have set up shop in our lives. So, here it goes. I have moved 18 times in my 32 years of life. That comes out to a move every other year or so. However, I lived in the same place for almost 18 years of my life, making for 16 of my moves taking place within the last 14 years of my life. That is almost a move every year! It is no wonder I was feeling excited about this new location, but...a bit tired of packing and moving! Chip has similar sums, so I won't run you through his calculations. Our cumulative total is 28 homes we have inhabited throughout our two lives. ...mind boggling. I know we are not alone in this experience. I wonder how this has sculpted us all into who we are....

At any rate, it is all good. We are happily invested in setting ourselves up for something great in this 18th move and, hopefully, the 19th move will be one to bring our averages down. In the meantime, enjoy some artsy pics of the new place. You will have to come visit to see how they all come together to create the two bedroom (yes, we have a guest room!) place we call home. Plan your trip now! There are free Americanos, egg sandwiches, and tours of Portland included in any stay.

Kessler has been busy finding all of her new favorite hang-out spots.

“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving”

Albert Einstein quotes