Another skipped travel post! Which means this is, once again, out of order. Which was kind of the “last straw” that contributed to my stopping these posts end of 2019. (When I’d realized I’d skipped a Sept 2019 trip, and wasn’t sure how I wanted to handle things being messed up, amidst personal tragedy and then global pandemic and all the depression and anxiety that brings). Right now, my response is a resigned chuckle, and OF COURSE a trip got skipped again, as I’d JUST finally decided and had the emotional follow-through to start up again. And I wrote about my Dec 2019 trip BEFORE writing about my overnight on the Oregon Coast in November 2019. *le sigh* Ah well. So here it is, out of order again!! But hopefully for the last time…for a bit, anyway.
November 2019, Nichole’s friends have moved down to Wheeler on the Oregon Coast and given her a blanket invitation. And I’m lucky enough to be invited along, too. Not only were these two folks so welcoming in inviting us to share their home (along with their dog, multiple cats, and a parrot!!), but they drove us around for maximum explorations during the Typical Rainy Coastal Pacific Northwest Weather.
We made friends with some Coastal Cows!
Explored the lovely Umbrella Falls.
Misty/rainy visit to The Three Graces
And found stormy weather at Cape Lookout.
Not pictured here were further beach explorations at Manzanita and Manhattan, laughter playing card games, lovely home cooked meals, and a great diner breakfast at the adorable Wanda’s in Nehalem. It was a really nice getaway. It was a safe place to breath and to cry and to explore and to just exist. Not even two full months since my folks had passed, I was grateful for the chance to be in one of my favorite places. And then, a few brief months later, when travel shut down for a bit, I was extra reflective and extra grateful for how lucky I’ve been to have had all these amazing travel adventures.