I think we found it!

In the midst of a rainy week of household projects, exploring our campground, and some rest and recovery for sick pups, we made time to spend a day in Aberdeen – and it’s really speaking to us!! The whole Gray’s Harbor area is so pretty, with a great eclectic downtown area full of lots of shops and restaurants and old buildings (this place was founded in the late 1800s). The harbor is so interesting with all its logging and fishing elements, including huge stacks of oyster shells, cool drawbridges and rotating swing span bridges. We saw so many cute neighborhoods and houses for sale! And the best thing is, when I looked up Aberdeen churches online, a huge list came up – I stopped looking after the first three, because they all sounded great!

The night before we headed to Aberdeen, I was feeling a little anxious, because I’m ready to plant roots again, but so far nowhere we’ve looked has really been a good fit – either the climate and/or geography aren’t appealing, or the amenities are lacking, or the cost of living is too high. I asked Deron how he would know when we found the right place, i.e. what his parameters were, and he said that he really didn’t know, but that somehow it would just feel right. So we prayed that night that we would both recognize the right place when we got there. And then the next day in Aberdeen, the whole time we drove around, we felt a joyful peace in our hearts, and realized that we really could envision ourselves living there.

So – spoiler alert – starting in February, we’re going to be making steps to plant ourselves in the Gray’s Harbor area – either in Aberdeen or in one of the surrounding towns (Hoquiam or Cosmopolis). It’s kind of funny that we spent a year and a half traveling around, only to come back to the place we discovered over seven years ago. But we wouldn’t change the journey if we could. It’s been a really good season of learning and growing and enjoying life, and doing things we may never get the chance to again.

Between now and February we’ll be celebrating the holidays by spending more time with friends and family in northern and southern California. Then we’ll make the long trek back up here to start looking for a church, jobs and a house. We’re so excited!!

Of course, there’s always a chance that Aberdeen doesn’t work out – in which case we’ll jump back in the coach and start the process again. For those loyal followers of our #nomadlife, I’ll keep up on the blog until we’ve moved into a non-rolling house.

hanging in Bay Center, WA

exploring Aberdeen

for the foodies…

homecooked goodness:

orange/cranberry/pistachio cookies
tangy beef stroganoff with side salad
Cuban sandwiches made with slow-cooked dill pickle beef
Asian salad with sesame ginger marinated salmon
slow-cooked maple-thyme chicken & yams

praise & prayer

We’re so thankful for this journey God has brought us on! He is so faithful!

last but not least, some random facts/ observations/ side notes:

RV life problems…

• Always remove the smoke alarm before broiling or browning.
• Don’t try to put on makeup when the washer is spinning and jiggling the makeup mirror.
• Use the electric heater whenever you’re paying for power at an RV park – unless it drops below 40 degrees, in which case the electric heater can’t keep up. Then switch to the propane heater.
• No cell service = no streaming, so always be prepared to miss the latest Netflix drop of your favorite show.