Bainbridge Island!

This past weekend I visited my cousin Rob and his lovely wife Holly in Bainbridge Island (which is right next door to Seattle).

I had such a wonderful time with them. One unanticipated gem of this whole journey has been the opportunity to connect with family members that I had previously known so little about. Rob was always so much older, and we lived thousands of miles away, so the only opportunity to visit was in the summer time. Admittedly, I was a little nervous about the visit- I didn't know if we would get along, or if our conversation would be awkward and forced. Thankfully, it was exactly the opposite- I immediately felt at ease, and the two of them were even more wonderful than the best case scenario I had pictured in my mind. The love that they feel toward each other is obvious right away, and was actually very inspiring. I have had very little hope for love lately, but seeing their perfect, patient interactions, mutual respect, and blatant displays of affection make me hopeful and excited for my next chance at love.

They live in a beautiful home in the middle of trees and scurrying animals. I was reminded how much energy I receive from being in the presence of nature. They seem to have the perfect set- up: living in this paradise of solitude and greenery, with just a short ferry commute into the city.

Here is what I did:

took a walk through the 'Grand Forest' which was right around the corner from their home

TRIED, yes, just tried going out on their boat.. apparently the best two days of owning a boat is the day you buy it, and the day you sell it

When we finally gave up on the boat, we went to the nearby woods and had some wine and watched...

... a really beautiful sunset

The next day, despite our horrendous hangovers, (margaritas and copious amounts of wine were consumed later on) we got on the ferry to Seattle

and then had delicious oysters!

Pike's Market

we saw an incredibly impressive multi- tasker

and found an abandoned pair of pants

Here is Holly enjoying our feast of Gin, Kirkland Cheese, and Kettle Chips on her brother's boat

It was such a wonderful weekend, and they are two wonderful, wonderful people. 

THEN it was back to Portland, which has been especially fun lately- more on that soon!