The main reason I decided to stay on Whidbey Island is because my friend Trudy (who lives in Missouri) was vacationing there with her husband, three kids, mom, and sister. Yes, I crashed their family vacation. They rented a cabin off the bay in Coupeville (in Puget Sound), about 25 minutes from where I was staying in Oak Harbor.
Trudy is a couple of years older than me and we’ve been friends for about 22 years. I met her when I was 16 and started my first job – the packaging department of a baby photo company. We interviewed the same day and I remember thinking that she seemed so cool – too cool for me. This was in the mid-1990s and Trudy was wearing overalls, had a short haircut, and was sort of punk rock. I was a very regular teenager and not at all cool.
Trudy and I started work at the same time and ended up becoming friends. Trudy always said what was on her mind, sometimes to a fault. I have always admired her for that. She doesn’t care what others think about her – she does her own thing. Meeting Trudy at age 16 helped shape me by making me feel accepted, and making me ‘try’ to not care what people think of me. We’ve continued to be friends through all these years, which I’m very grateful for. But I will say, she’s really not all that cool after all (love you Trudy!😉).
When I arrived at the cabin Trudy’s family was renting, her kids were looking for clams, and Trudy and her sister, Katie, were kayaking. Her mom and step-dad had some friends over who lived nearby so I was able to tell everyone about my travels.
We spent the afternoon walking along the beach and looking for clams spitting water as the tide receded. Since beginning my trip, this was the first day that it was cloudy and cool, and I was eager to wear a jacket for the first time in months.
Trudy, her daughter Fiona, and myself went to the little nearby grocery store to get some food. While at the 4-way stop outside of the market, a deer pranced through the intersection as the cars all waited for him to pass. It was pretty funny seeing a deer just like that, right outside the market.
I’ve known Fiona since she was born and now she’s 14 years old. She’s grown to be such a cool, smart, sweet, and fun person. We both enjoy sweets so she was my collaborator to get some desserts into the cart. We laughed and giggled because Trudy eats pretty healthy. It definitely makes me feel old knowing I first met Trudy when she was 18. And here I was, having a blast with her 14-year-old daughter. It’s funny how time works.
The house had a fire pit with some chairs on the sand. Trudy and I sat on the chair (without a fire) and caught up on life. I told her how it was hard traveling alone but it started to get better once I was able to meet up with friends. I couldn’t help but cry a little as I told her about it. But spending time with friends, like Trudy, was really helping.
For dinner, Trudy’s husband cooked up the clams that they all found during the day and made a soup. I gotta admit, the clams were chewy and I don’t think I’ll eat clams again. After dinner, we all played a dice game. It was so much fun! First off, I love board games. I will play anytime someone suggests it. I used to beg my family to play with me when I was a kid. Second, this was a new game for me and it was so much fun to compete with all the family members, even the kids. It was a late night and it all felt so fulfilling. Being around good people, laughing, and getting to know each other better is what life is all about.
The next day I went hiking. The trail started at the lower, north side of Deception Pass. Starting the trail was a little annoying as there were a fair number of tourists taking pictures and having picnics at the tables.
Thankfully, as I continued on the five or so mile hike, I left the tourists behind. I crossed a couple of beaches and made my way around two different parts of land that were almost like islands.
At one point, I got to the top of a ridge and nobody was around. Normally, I’d take a quick break by sitting on a rock and eating a snack. But I remembered that I had a folding chair in my backpack that I had never used. I pulled it out, sat down, and enjoyed a snack in the blazing sunshine. It was warm with a cool breeze. The sun felt so good as it reflected off the ocean. I closed my eyes and soaked up that sun for about an hour.
After the hike, I showered, ate some dinner, and headed back to Trudy’s cabin. It was evening time and the sun was starting to set. At one point, her 12-year old son Vaughn came running inside and said the little boat they used to catch clams, was floating away. Michael, Trudy’s husband, ran outside, jumped into a kayak and started chasing the boat that was indeed floating away. Vaughn also jumped into a Kayak and they frantically went paddling after it.
The tide changes a lot in the evening and they had been out crab fishing earlier in the day and didn’t pull it up far enough from the rising tide.
Apparently, the tide started to take the boat away and it was probably half a mile away – down the beach and a little out towards the open ocean. Michael caught the boat and pulled it to the shore down the beach so he could jump into the boat to paddle it back. Vaughn paddled the kayak back. But then poor Vaughn had to walk back down the beach to get the other kayak.
The whole event was hilarious! We were all really grateful Vaughn noticed the boat disappearing before it was really gone!
That evening, Michael cooked the crabs and they were delicious! The fresh caught crab melted in my mouth after it was dipped in butter.
The next morning, I went to check out of my Airbnb and as I was bringing my bags down to the foyer, Barry (my host) said “Christy, come look at the deer.” Sure enough, in his backyard was a deer and her baby eating the fruit from his trees! It was so cute to watch them enjoy the food and then just jump over the short wooden fence into the next yard.
This whole time I wondered if Barry was divorced, widowed, or married. But then his wife was there, in a robe! We said hello and she talked about a restaurant they own that she couldn’t wait to get rid of and fully retire. I’m not sure where she was for the three days I was there, but it was nice meeting her. She also gave me some great tips of things to see in Seattle. She used to work there four days a week and then live in Oak Harbor the other three days a week.
Before heading out to Seattle, I stopped by to see Trudy and her family for a couple of hours. On one hand, I felt bad that I intruded on their family vacation. On the other hand, I had such a fun time and it felt like quality family time that I really needed.
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Post Edited By: Misty Kosek
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