Four years living near the sea was enough

 Not long after my last post, we started to pack our house. We moved that next Spring to the Southwest corner of Oregon, far from family, to a place with a few friends. The pace was slower, I'd get to "work remote" most of the time. And, my best friend there died of a stroke just after Thanksgiving (before we moved up). It took a while, but we finally decided that small town life was not for us. There were a litany of small reasons, which we'd tell ourselves that we were willing to put up with for the slower pace, the 1-mile walk to the beach, and watching the local wildlife wander through our yard and neighborhood (deer and elk!), but the elephant in the room was a lack of nearby medical care. In an emergency, time is of the essence. But, in a non-emergency, you might wait MANY months to get an appointment with a "traveling" specialist, or you may need to drive 2-4.5 hours (each way) to places with more specialists would would take you on as a patient.

We spent much of 2024, looking for other places, finally landing a place just outside of Portland. Close to a big city, but also a smaller-town vibe. But, good healthcare options, plenty of shopping and restaurant options. It also meant that I'd be working in the office again, but my drive is 2 miles on city streets (only 5 miles to a data center I also service), and I also have great public transit options. I can take the MAX train to the airport, instead of leaving the car in long-term parking. I was lucky that my work team gave us the latitude we needed for all of our house hunting trips!

As we approach the first anniversary in this home, I'm grateful to be in a place where I think we can age gracefully, and we have a guest room for when friends and family want to come visit. The current Republican-driven government shutdown may block our air travel for Thanksgiving, if TSA and Air Traffic Controllers are still not getting paycheck. I'm glad the Democrats are holding the line for our healthcare, and I hope the elections today show a Blue Wave. If they don't, it's time to investigate the tabulation of those votes... too many loyalists have been put in place, and I think one-party rule equals authoritarianism. Contrary to what "voices" on the right will parrot, Portland isn't burning (that footage was during COVID times). I'm building community with my new neighbors, and paying in shelf-stable foods ahead of any General Strikes. 

Get to know your neighbors, my friends. We need to start talking about our common ground, and how we want to rebuild our democracy to move forward... because the current regime is trying to take us backwards.  Happy Thanksgiving.