Life In The Pacific Northwest
Alex is from Leavenworth, and worked at REI, so we most likely have some common friends. I adore Penny, her VW Eurovan, and she’s got the coolest dog.
Yeah, I dig vanlife. I don’t really want to LIVE it. I’d like a small van for weekend touring, but I have no desire or plans to drop everything and live solely out of a van. Now, doing something like that in Hawaii would be cool….and maybe I’d could get a trailer for the Lexus.
Anyway, check out Alex’s blog and Instagram pages.
Hawaii is one of the places I could easily move to. I’ve been blessed with several trips to the islands. Most of my Hawaiian journeys have been on Oahu. Waikiki and Honolulu, Pearl Harbor, the North Shore and Hanauma Bay. I’ve also made it to Maui and the Big Island (Kona). I love these places! Especially the feeling in my soul when in contact with the land.
This YouTuber, Sam Potter, is from Hawaii. He’s creating a travel series that will be fascinating to watch: Beautiful Destinations. This is visually rich, which delights me deeply. Sam does a great job capturing the mood. I’m looking forward to the future of this show.
I’ve written about the Youtube series Kombi Life before. I’m fond of these folks, love the show’s concept and delight in the way Ben and Leah are using all the tools this internet age is giving them to live out a dream.
The first series took them from south America to the Arctic Ocean. Now they’re heading for a global tour. They just posted their first season on Youtube, which starts with a west coast search the right VW Kombi to loading it on a ship in New York (and them into an airplane).
Go watch their current series (below). If you’re as charmed and delighted as I am, consider joining the “Kombi Crew” on Patreon, as us supporters are called. I hope to see you there!
Poking around the internet I found this fun piece:
American Girl Hotel Stay Package at Homewood Suites Lynnwood, WA
Though I have a son, and wouldn’t have been much in a place to take part in such, the writers do point out that the hotel is pretty kid friendly.
I just love that the American Girl store at Alderwood Mall and Homewood Suites thought to build something like this. I think it’s actually quite brilliant.
Love my little town. Well, I guess Lynnwood isn’t that terribly “little” any more. But that’s another blog post.
Yesterday’s post on my old Travel Dreams, and then a comment by JoanJet (probably not the rock star…) reminded me of another piece of this: it’s evolution.
JoanJet wrote about her plans to throw an iKamper (check out it’s Kickstarter campaign) on the top of her Navigator and hit the road. That’s very close to what I picture myself doing….eventually.
Looking at the iKamper campaign reminded me of this film by Zangs Films: Our Land – Traversing Oregon. (They had a similar camper set up on their Landcruiser in the film). It reminds me of what’s great about the Pacific Northwest, our current policies around public lands and how important they are to maintain.
Anyway, check out the film. It’s worth your (just over) 15 minutes.
(*if you liked the film, check out the behind the scenes blog post from the folks at Zangs)
Dreams
Ages ago
To drive a van
Laden with camera gear
Photographing delights
What captured my eye
Once I dreamt of driving across the country in a VW van. That iterated many times. Shifting to a drive from Alaska to South America, terminating at Cape Horn. It changed from VW to Chevy, thinking that Chevy parts would be easier to find. Then to motorcycles, perhaps BMWs, again thinking parts. Ensure styled motorcycles should endure the treacherous roads better.
Sometimes it was a solo ride; others, a team effort worthy of a Long Way Round. I saw logistics and geopolitical issues with southern Mexico, El Salvador, Colombia, amongst others.
The vision never fully gelled. It was hard to get past the fears.
Now I simply think about travelling the US. Van, cameras, website…who needs anything else?
Watching 180 South this evening. My son found this years ago on Netflix, and we find it a nice, calming film. It’s also thought provoking.
Part of that: it’s core focus on sustainable living. Yvon Chouinard and Doug Tompkins built their businesses with that long-term view. These were men we talked about when I worked at Starbucks in Corporate Social Responsibility. North Face and Patagonia were, and are, leaders of socially responsible business practices.
Then there’s the travelogue element. These guys are seeking wisdom on their quest. Facing challenges, seeking to understand, to learn about the world. That’s compelling for me, who spent my childhood drifting over the planet.
After watching tonight, I thought some about the quest. About the wisdom gained from the journey. I see that some gain great insight from travels. Others from staying put, deepening their connection to place, a single place. Both paths are valid, both lead to wisdom, both are necessary for the world.
I’ve been on both paths. Now my path is focused on this place. And I find it joyous.
Most of last week I spent in Orlando, taking part in Keller Williams Family Reunion. Around 15k real estate agents from all over the globe deepening our knowledge and celebrating the unique culture that is KW. It’s an amazing event. I came away with tons of new ideas, which I’ll flesh out more fully in the coming weeks. Evernote got a lot of use!
Friday I took what I called a Decompression Day where I focused on organizing my thoughts, mail and desk. And, since my son had a half day, I got to just hang out with him. We went to Donut Factory, where we’ve wanted to go for awhile. Lynnwood area friends, this is worth your time. Very tasty with an eclectic blend of flavors. So much so that decided to go again yesterday, too.
Florida was great. I lived in Orlando for a few years back in the 80s. The city grew hugely in my absence. I couldn’t navigate without GPS. There were familiar elements, though: trees, sand, the lizards (I really delight in them). It’s as pretty as I remember. I managed to breakaway out to Cocoa Beach, one of my favorite spots, where I was able to watch the SpaceX launch. Very, very cool!
Getting home, Seattle’s weather was dramatically different, but that was great for me. I love Florida, and was thrilled to visit. Seattle, though, is home. The cool morning mists make me content. Once that sense of home is achieved, one’s relationship with place is forever changed.
My life orbits South Snohomish County, especially Lynnwood. This is where we settled at 10, where I graduated high-school, and now where I raise my son. Several decades of my life right here. I get out, we do “things”, and yet there always remains some place new. So many places, nearby, where my feet have not ventured. For instance, I’ve yet to do more than sail through the San Juans. I’ve never been off the ferry. Never! Perplexes many friends.
With so many opportunities in my proverbial backyard, my interest and fascination with this area grows. Thus, I continue my explorations. And with a new addition. I want to experience some place new, some place I’ve never been before. Whether a new town, new site, new restaurant, new park; I want to make a deliberate choice to seek out new stuff and do new things. Not to discount the stuff I already love, but to add a deeper richness to my knowledge of the area.
Some random ideas: a day trip to the San Juans (actually getting off the ferry), the parks on Whidbey, hikes in the Cascades, and (my favorite) and tour of local burger places (like Dicks, Win’s in Bellingham, Ray’s in Everett, Burger Mill in Marysville, etc…).
I’ve been nuts for mountainbikes since I first stumbled upon them in the 80s. I’ve been able to ride all over, but never anything as epic as this.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoYTDv85fDA]