New Adventure begins

[Elisabetta]

We're in Spokane, Washington once we get internet at the Campsite I'll send Moon all the pictures I took and let you be wowed.

[crfriend]

We're in Spokane, Washington once we get internet at the Campsite I'll send Moon all the pictures I took and let you be wowed.

That's most excellent news, Elizabetta, and thank you for sharing. I'm looking forward to seeing some of the photographs.

I've been sort of shadowing you from afar using maps and aerial views to gain a perspective on what the landscape would look like at assorted places, and I've likely been in some of the places you were, albeit a good many decades ago. I'm sure it's changed a bit.

[Elisabetta]

We're in Spokane, Washington once we get internet at the Campsite I'll send Moon all the pictures I took and let you be wowed.

That's most excellent news, Elizabetta, and thank you for sharing. I'm looking forward to seeing some of the photographs.

I've been sort of shadowing you from afar using maps and aerial views to gain a perspective on what the landscape would look like at assorted places, and I've likely been in some of the places you were, albeit a good many decades ago. I'm sure it's changed a bit.

Nice!! Currently in Kirkland, Washington the scenery is breathtaking here.

[Elisabetta]

We made it to Stanwood, Washington!! Moon is currently hooking up our camper at the resort.

[denimini]

Great to hear you got there safely.

[Fred in Skirts]

Glad to hear you are safe and sound at the new home. Looking forward to seeing all of the pictures and dialogue of your trip.

[crfriend]

We made it to Stanwood, Washington!!

My, my, my, the world is a small place. It turns out, when trawling the old memory-cells, I've been through Stanwood at least five times in the late 1990s and in 2013.

There's a train station there I remember stopping at in 2013, and passed through three times, twice in 2013 and once in the late '90s.

In 2013, my late ex- and I visited some of her family out in that part of the world (Anacortes on Fidalgo Island) and took the long-haul train from Worcester to Seattle where they picked us up. A few days into the trip, I arranged to be driven to the station in Mount Vernon where I took a short-haul one into Seattle to visit the then-functional Living Computer Museum and returned the same way. In the 1990's, perhaps to mainly prove it could be done when we were both much younger, I contrived a trip that would see us touch all four corners of the 48 States in one two week trip, and Seattle was the first meaningful stop.

That is a magnificent part of the world, and I adored the time I spent out there. Wait until Spring and the tulip harvest -- and seek out where they're grown. The scene will blow your minds. And always in the background the spectacular peaks of the mountains. I'd like to get out there again sometime before I kick off this rock permanently.

[Elisabetta]

Settled in nicely here in Warm Beach, Washington. We have a Stanwood, Washington address but actually reside in Warm Beach. So far people are really nice here and people at the campground really like us.Have made us both feel at home.

[crfriend]

Settled in nicely here in Warm Beach, Washington. We have a Stanwood, Washington address but actually reside in Warm Beach. So far people are really nice here and people at the campground really like us.Have made us both feel at home.

That is truly wonderful news, Elizabetta. Just wonderful. I'm happy for you.

[Elisabetta]

Settled in nicely here in Warm Beach, Washington. We have a Stanwood, Washington address but actually reside in Warm Beach. So far people are really nice here and people at the campground really like us.Have made us both feel at home.

That is truly wonderful news, Elizabetta. Just wonderful. I'm happy for you.

Thank you we love it here.
As soon as Moon can catch a moment or two he'll update you all with pictures and such.

[moonshadow]

Night and Day...

I'm on another planet.

From pro-life billboards and crosses in every business to... well... the exact opposite. One Safeway (a store I've never heard of, but apparently is one if the largest chains in the country) had a Halloween decoration set up with an actual witches spell on display (not Harry Potter... more Wiccan in nature) to the one I'm at today with not one but two progress [pride] flags hanging in the store.

You won't find that in the Appalachian hills for sure.

And yet, despite all of that, there is a part of me that kinda misses the old theocracy. They weren't bad people, and I also never heard of needing a code to access a public restroom... hell we actually had public restrooms back home.

We went out to visit downtown Seattle last Saturday, and I don't know what people do when you have to answer the call of nature... even the restaurants don't let you use the restroom (something that is against Virginia health code). I guess carry on an empty Gatorade bottle....

So you know... there are pros and cons.

It's a nice area, but there's no place like home.

First impressions? Seattle seems to be a pretty cool place. People seem to love it here. I can say that most people I've talked to here probably wouldn't like living in the Appalachian hills. Nobody has expressed any interest in visiting the east coast. I can see it... it's nice here, and pretty. I'd probably feel the same way if I hadn't spent all 42 years of my life out east.

I can't think of any mountains back home that compare to the cascades over here... BUT... we do have public bathrooms, and you can still find a home for under a hundred grand... so there...

I also had to Google why some if these places have blue tinted lights in their restrooms...

[Elisabetta]

Night and Day...

I'm on another planet.

From pro-life billboards and crosses in every business to... well... the exact opposite. One Safeway (a store I've never heard of, but apparently is one if the largest chains in the country) had a Halloween decoration set up with an actual witches spell on display (not Harry Potter... more Wiccan in nature) to the one I'm at today with not one but two progress [pride] flags hanging in the store.

You won't find that in the Appalachian hills for sure.

And yet, despite all of that, there is a part of me that kinda misses the old theocracy. They weren't bad people, and I also never heard of needing a code to access a public restroom... hell we actually had public restrooms back home.

We went out to visit downtown Seattle last Saturday, and I don't know what people do when you have to answer the call of nature... even the restaurants don't let you use the restroom (something that is against Virginia health code). I guess carry on an empty Gatorade bottle....

So you know... there are pros and cons.

It's a nice area, but there's no place like home.

First impressions? Seattle seems to be a pretty cool place. People seem to love it here. I can say that most people I've talked to here probably wouldn't like living in the Appalachian hills. Nobody has expressed any interest in visiting the east coast. I can see it... it's nice here, and pretty. I'd probably feel the same way if I hadn't spent all 42 years of my life out east.

I can't think of any mountains back home that compare to the cascades over here... BUT... we do have public bathrooms, and you can still find a home for under a hundred grand... so there...

I also had to Google why some if these places have blue tinted lights in their restrooms...

How do you feel about everything now that we're getting settled in?

[crfriend]

How do you feel about everything now that we're getting settled in?

I knew you guys were going to be in for a bit of culture-shock, but didn't want to rain on the parade. Like many changes, the raw newness and misunderstanding will wear off in time and life will resume, just in another part of the world.

I hope you both are well. How's the little dog getting along with it?

[KiltedBigWave]

Congrats and good luck with everything.

[Elisabetta]

How do you feel about everything now that we're getting settled in?

I knew you guys were going to be in for a bit of culture-shock, but didn't want to rain on the parade. Like many changes, the raw newness and misunderstanding will wear off in time and life will resume, just in another part of the world.

I hope you both are well. How's the little dog getting along with it?

I'm actually fine it's Moon having to adjust to new things. I don't mind it. Rufus is adjusting he's out of his comfort zone so he's making the most of it.

I do know one thing Moon doesn't want to go back to Virginia we honestly really don't have anything left there. His mom and sister are kinda moving on with their lives. Moon mentioned that we weren't flying out to Virginia next year and you'd figure his mom would want to see him but she didn't even seemed bothered by it.