It’s only been a couple of years since we’ve moved the family up here, but I don’t think I want to call anywhere else home.

We were needing to get away from the hustle and bustle of Seattle – the crowded neighborhoods, the terrible traffic. The kids were commuting as much as I was, just to get them to daycare. No kid deserves to sit in a car for that long on the daily. COVID gave us remote work, and that was the trigger we needed to make the change.

First it was Duvall. Then Mukilteo. Then Stanwood. The idea kept moving further north. Then we got a chance to visit with some friends here in Anacortes. We learned about the schools, met a few folks who kept coming back. Got to hang out in town a few times and got a feel for the neighborhoods. Seemed like the right place. So we pulled the trigger.

And it’s been great since. I’ve met more people here, and made more connections organically than I ever did living in a super-populated metropolitan area. There’s no traffic here (relatively). My blood pressure is lower. I can’t get mad at the usual gaffes that usually irked me because 1) it happens way less here, 2) it’s all more relatable, and 3) I probably know that person, anyway. It’s probably Ken from up the road, and he’s just old.

I want to find more ways to connect to the people here. Running into people almost on a daily basis has been nice. It feels safer here because of it, even with the bigger events in town bringing folks from all over. I’m not worried about letting the kids play outside or down the street. I may be able to let them roam on their own, just like how we grew up.

That’s all we want for – just letting our kids feel safe and free the way we did when we were little. Anacortes seems like a good place to do that. Seems like home to me.

This is home, now…

Friends of the Forest