It’s been a bit and then some! I hit the pause button, and it got stuck in that position for a time. As the pandemic ripped through the country, pulsing first here and then there, I meandered through my days not sure of what I was doing next or where I was headed (who can relate?). I stuck around in Champaign, enjoying time with my family, until the vaccine and synchronicity opened the door to hitting the road again, with a destination and purpose.
Westward Ho!
I waited until mid-June to head out, taking the time to get some work done on Knight before making the 2,300ish-mile journey west. For those of you who follow me on Instagram (@shifting_space), you know I landed in Sequim, WA. For those of you who don’t follow me on IG…I’m in Sequim, WA ;) (when you read the name of this town in your head, pretend it doesn’t have an “e” in it, and you’ll pronounce it the right way!).
I’ve driven through this town before on the 101, back when I was doing research for my Ph.D., but I didn’t stop to check it out. I had no idea, really, what to expect when arrived this time around. My memories of the Peninsula were primarily of clear-cut forests brought to you (mostly) by Weyerhauser, though there are other players in this area, too, punctuated by the grand Olympic Mountains and, occasionally, the Strait of San Juan de Fuca.
Sandwiched Between Mountains and Sea
What I found when I got here was — magic.
The journey west took three weeks, in part due to the brutal heat that gripped, first, the PNW, and then the West (I sat in 100+ temps in Boise) as it made its way slowly east. When I got here, I felt more in tune with my surroundings, more connected, than I have anywhere since I lived in Garmisch, Germany. Not even the Gold Beach area held the same pull as here.
Sequim is called Sunny Sequim because it sits in the rainshadow of the Olympic Mountains. And it’s perched on the shores of the Strait. I’ll find out what that means in terms of rain this winter, though right now a record-breaking bomb cyclone is striking the area, and we’re being battered by 50mph wind gusts and bands of rain moving through. It isn’t that bad, thankfully, but small-to-mid-sized limbs and pinecones keep flying off the trees.
Settled for Now
I’ve been here for just over three months now (wow! Really?), and I’ll be sticking around through the winter. I’ve dusted off my blog and moved it to Substack. As I and the world have gone through some seismic shifts over the past almost two years and more, my thoughts about what I want to write about have evolved. Or expanded.
I’m excited to be writing in this space again, with the slightly different backdrop that Substack provides. So, I hope you’ll all stick around to see what’s coming, read my posts, and engage in the comment sections! I’ll be writing with regularity now, so you can expect to see something from me more often. If you continue to like what you read, I’d love and appreciate it if you’d share the links on social media.
If you’re just now joining me here, I hope you’ll go back and read my previous posts and continue along on this journey with me. I am looking forward to getting to know you!
I can’t wait to share new adventures on shifting spaces and our connections with nature, humanity, and our inner selves with old friends and new ones.
Peace,
Des
Absolutely breathtaking photos! So happy to hear from you and see that you are out having adventures again. Enjoy!
It certainly sounds like you've found a place to fits your energy! I cannot wait to read more Des!
-Shay