When people ask where I am from, I tell them Washington State, and it’s true. It’s where I was born, but my parents left here after only a few years….
I’ve never returned, until just recently. I believe at some point in a person’s life, it is important to return to the place from where you came…
for me it was Whidbey Island in the Puget sound, searching for the town I was born in, Oak Harbor.
But first I had to take the Mukilteo car ferry from the mainland to the Island. The perfect way to start a new adventure.
Upon crossing, I start my exploration by following the first sign pointing to the nearest beach. Possession beach, to be precise. The morning was a chilly twenty degree’s, with light wind blowing in from the sea, it felt about ten degrees. Yet the clear sky and abandoned driftwood kept my spirits warm.
In the summer months, the blackfish whales, as the Native Americans called them, fill this area. You can see monuments to the whales in people’s yards, storefronts, etc…to these wonderful creatures. I sit in the sand and imagine seeing their fins and tails above the water as they play about.
I find a bridge leading to a trail that will take me up into the hills above the beach. Crunching along the frozen ground, I make my way past ferns and leafless trees. Small birds hop along the path with me, curious as to why I am out here in the cold.
As I round the top of the mountain and start my descent, a peaceful feeling takes hold of my soul and doesn’t let go.
“You are home now…”
