Folks, Family & Friends! Announcement – We currently live in Bend, Oregon. I am realizing I forgot to report this news now that people are making plans to visit, and they still think we’re on the Mountain. So here it is – Internet Official.
This must mean it is time for a more general life update in the nomadic life of the CatGeists… or is it GeistCotts? S-squared? Honestly, you probably just care about Westi’s current whereabouts.
At the end of January 2021, we said goodbye to our beloved Misty Mountain. As hard as it was, there was a confluence of issues that made the move inevitable.
Mentally, the remoteness of Camp Quarantine was starting to lean more heavily in the direction of isolation rather than restoration. And with the Vaccine on the horizon, we began to imagine what it might be like to actually see real-live people again regularly… even if it was at a distance.
Practically, the winter weather was causing more and more power-outages which, as I’ve explained before, means no electricity, cell service or water. As two remotely working adults, the inconvenience was becoming untenable. AND, honestly, even if we weren’t both employed, the winter darkness made staying active after 4pm difficult. With zero ambient lighting out there, when the sun went down, the day outside the house was pretty much over. There were no evening walks, restaurant dinners, or driveway basketball. It was either too dangerous or just didn’t exist.
So, we knew in early 2021, it would be time for a change of scenery with reliable internet, Verizon coverage, and street lights.
Even with all this, it was hard to leave. We love that place, those trees, the Mountain. It truly was a home of healing for us – as a couple and individually. It became kind of like a boot-camp for our relationship post active-addiction. Reliant only ourselves, each other, Mother Nature and an 80lbs dog, we were either going to make it or …not.
Were there moments of utter frustration? Yes. Did we sometimes feel totally alone and misunderstood? Yep. Did Steve make Sierra cry over a $16 ceramic mug? Sure did. Did we storm out on angry solo hikes to cool down from time to time? Uh huh.
Did we always come back ready to try again? We did. Every. Single. Time.
I don’t know what would have happened if there wasn’t a Global Pandemic that froze the Portland rental market and pushed us out to the boonies with absolutely zero friends or family within 400 miles of us. I just don’t know and can’t. This is how it happened. The accelerated, and at times, desperate healing of a couple who wanted to save their marriage. Life on life’s terms.
Geez. I started this post with the intention of talking about Bend’s insane housing market, and this is where I ended up. I guess we need another essay to cover the three (or four, depending on how you look at it) living situations we’ve ended up in over the past 6 month since moving to Bend. Stay tuned.
Oh, and since you probably do only care about Westi – she did her own type of healing on the Mountain. We moved out there one month after her second ACL surgery, and since then she’s shed 15lbs, built up stamina to hike over 9+ miles IN THE SNOW, and is generally one of the healthiest 11 year-old dogs you’ll meet. She’s gonna live forever, right? RIGHT?
More soon. Come visit us… in BEND (and maybe we can visit Misty Mountain too).
thebustache 