Highway to Hoeftland

Mike and I are in the middle of a grand adventure. The adventure is not a trip or a vacation this time, but rather, a big life transition. We’re entering a new chapter in our lives, and we’re not yet sure where the new path is leading. For me, it’s exciting to feel this way. Life is not supposed to be boring. Life is most fun when we’re exploring, when we’re not settling for less than what we want, and when we’re experiencing each new day in a creative, present, and grateful way.

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We Arrived in the Pacific Northwest

Yesterday evening, after a long week of driving north from our previous residence in Southern Nevada, we arrived at our permanent and private campsite at Lake Merwin Campers Hideaway, in Amboy Washington. This will be our primary home until we find a new place to live in Central Oregon. We have two trailers up here at the lake; our Casita travel trailer that we tow around, and a stationary trailer that stays up at the Hideaway.

Our History with Lake Merwin and Why We’re Here Now

Several years ago, when my Mom passed away, she left her trailer to my sister and me. It was such a nice gift. As I’ve stated in a previous post, Lake Merwin feels like a home base to us. We are lucky to be able to come up here for vacations, and during times like these, we can use Lake Merwin as a safe haven and/or a primary home while we’re in a life transition. Not to mention, it’s cheap to stay at Lake Merwin if you have a membership!

A Renewed Appreciation for my Home Region

Being back in the Pacific Northwest has me feeling a renewed appreciation and deep gratitude for this beautiful area. I am more aware of things I wasn’t fully aware of when I lived here when I was younger.

For instance, this morning, as I was taking a walk down the gravel road, I had such a profound feeling of peacefulness. I looked up at all the green trees with awe and satisfaction. I was happy to be among such breathtaking greenery again. I heard the sound of the wind gently blowing the leaves, and the birds were chirping happily. As I continued walking, a few deer were munching on ground vegetation in the grass nearby. Just a small morning walk through the trees made me feel “present” and more in the moment than I had experienced in a while. The temperature here is also so pleasant; it’s not too hot, nor too cold—I love mild weather. No more sweating every day (hopefully—I do take after my dad who used to take two showers a day because he sweated so much)!

Additionally, we have many family members and friends who live in the Pacific Northwest and who also have trailers up at Lake Merwin. I am certainly feeling in my element up here and I’m so glad to have Mike and our beloved pets with me in a place that I love very much. 🙂

Mike’s Working in the Woods – Here’s How He’s Doing it

This afternoon as I’m typing this, Mike is in the living room across from me, sitting in an old wooden rocking chair by the window, doing his work. Lake Merwin Campers Hideaway recently had Wi-Fi installed and therefore, he is able to get online, tend to his conference calls, and work just as efficiently and thorough as he did when we lived in a regular house in Henderson, Nevada. We were initially a little worried that the internet would not be sufficiently fast or connected enough, but we’re happy to report that the Wi-Fi is working great with the booster that we bought. The Wi-Fi at the Hideaway provides us a lot more freedom and flexibility in our lives now and we’re thankful for it.

Next up – Central Oregon

In the coming weekends, if there are any homes we like that are for sale online that we’re interested in, we’ll pack up the Casita travel trailer and our pets, and head down to a Central Oregon RV Park, while we tour potential homes with our realtor. We’ll then return to Lake Merwin during the week so that Mike can focus on his work during the week days.

As always, thanks for your readership and comments. Mike says hi to everyone too!

If you’re interested in checking out pictures from our recent road trip from Nevada to Washington, you can see them on my Instagram account here.

Sincerely,

Kristin