Hallooo Pacific Ocean!

For the first time in recorded history, I have seen and touched the Pacific Ocean!

If you're wondering how on earth I've lived on the West Coast for two whole years without seeing the Pacific Ocean, there's a logical answer: the Ocean is far away. Now, don't be misled--I live close to the water. In fact, from where I'm sitting right now, I could be to saltwater in about fifteen minutes...but it's the Puget Sound...it's not the Ocean. While the Sound is calm, the Ocean is raging...and while the Sound is full of islands, the Ocean is vast...while the Sound is fifteen minutes away, the Ocean is a long drive through Seattle, Tacoma, Olympia, and down a lot of backroads towards the coast.

One of my best Washington friends (and fellow YD Adventures Rafting Guide) Heidi and I took the long weekend and drove to her family's beach home near Long Beach, WA, which is a five-hour drive from Arlington. The three days away were very welcome for both of us. We're in the process of moving into a house that Heidi just bought (which is about ten minutes from my office, chopping my commute down substantially.) We don't have possession of the house yet, so we had three days of waiting with nothing to do except worry about details.

On Sunday, the Pacific Ocean and I became good friends. We hung out together for about six hours while Heidi went fishing at the Columbia River jetty. While she caught 14 sea bass, I read and drew and listened to music. It was excellent! And--for dinner, we had fresh sea bass. Nice!

So, the Pacific Ocean was big and tumultuous and scary. It's not a spot where you think, "Let's go swimming." It's a spot where you think, "If I end up in that surf, I will die." So, be careful!

Hello Pacific Ocean! I'm glad we've now been formally introduced, and I hope that we can hang out again in the near future!