A Fond Farewell

It's time.  It's been time for awhile but I didn't want this to end.

This space has been sacred and significant.  It's been the place to chronicle our family's story of moving, exploring, relating, falling in love with a place and people, changing, growing, celebrating, savouring, grieving and then ultimately saying goodbye.

I thought I would use this space as a virtual photo album and place to jot down little anecdotes and notes about our experiences.  It's sometimes been that.  But it's been so much more.  I rediscovered how much I love to write and tell stories.  I learned that I can be anywhere at any time and see an image or hear an exchange that will leave me haunted until I sit down to write about it.  I know that simple things are layered and textured and that words on a screen can heal me.

This record of our last two and a half years has been one of the most unexpected but most cherished gifts.   Our family will always have this way of remembering our West Coast Adventure and for that, I'm so grateful.

But now we're here.   Our journey and our story looks and feels different.
And it's time for this to end.

Thank you for reading along as we fumbled along.  I was always amazed that anyone would have wanted to read about our daily lives and times.   I would have done it just for us, but it was fun to have some company on the ride.

If you know me, you'll know that it's no shock that I have more to say, and I'll keep saying it (though likely a little differently) at a new blog called  Hide and Seek.  Starting today, you will find me there.

To the beautiful west coast -
glorious and green.
With majestic mountain peaks and soothing salty waves.
To the people we met who embraced us,
made room for us at their table,
and changed us.
To four other Penners who were up for adventure.
Who grabbed on to it and held on for dear life.
Who were the best companions for this story I could have ever imagined.
A grateful and fond farewell, all.