Whidbey Island

 In a couple of weeks my kids and I will officially be moving to Oak Harbor on whidbey island Washington. I took this past weekend as an opportunity to visit the island kid free with my husband. I have to say it is absolutely gorgeous, completely different from Florida (obviously).  The air is so much cleaner on whidbey Island, when you step outside to get a breath of fresh air that is exactly what you get, fresh air!  Not only is the air nicer, but the people are too. Everyone we came in contact with was extremely friendly, from the bus driver taking me to and from the airport to the  owner of the Dennys. It was great. We tried our best to stay away from many people due to Covid, but the few we did see were very welcoming and pleasant. For me deciding where to stay was easy.. I chose The Auld Holland Inn..It is a step back in time and space.  I think it is absolutely gorgeous. You really feel like you are in another time and place while there.

The interior where I stayed.

The exterior and lounge.

  

Deception Pass

After breakfast we decided to venture over to Fort Casey Park. If you like history, hiking, admiring the water or just want a nice picnic with your family, than this place is perfect for you! Here you are able to walk around the old abandoned fort and learn about some of the history behind it. They also have some nice trails for you to explore and take in all the nature, as well as some wildlife. If you feel up to it they have turned part of fort casey into an inn as well. Although I did not stay here from what I have seen and heard it is worth it.

Some of the trail

Looking over the cliff

Some of the old fort.

New Start

 I've lived in Florida my entire life, right next to the beaches and an hour away from most theme parks. With all this stuff around it's no wonder I developed a love of adventure and thrill seeking. My newest adventure started when my husband joined the Navy back in October. When he left it was up to me to become two parents in one and take care of our children who were 1 and 3 at the time. Our oldest is also on the spectrum and he goes to therapy 3 times a week. It was a challenging task to create a new routine for my son who is very routine dependent. Luckily I had help from the school as well as our family. As anyone in the military knows, basic was the hardest. We weren't able to speak to each other on the phone for 8 weeks. We got letters but obviously my kids cannot read, nor did they understand it was daddy writing them. Something I read before bootcamp was to record video messages to your children so it was like they were talking to you. We did that and it helped tremendously. My son would ask to see daddy and I would play  one for him and his spirits were instantly uplifted. A school has been simple for us,, daddy calls every night to put the kids to sleep and they love it. Luckily  my husband's schooling will soon be over and we will be reunited and starting the next chapter of our journey. Our first duty station will be on whidbey Island. I plan on exploring and writing about as much of the island as I can. I also plan on going to the mainland and do less touristy things,  but exciting things. I really just plan to explore what is unknown to us, see what is out there. We also plan on traveling to Canada while stationed at whidbey, seeing the northern lights and experience all of what Canada has to offer. If Navy life, travel, food, and nature excite you, than I invite you to join us on our journeys.