Heading South

When my wife and I realized our dream of living closer to the ocean -- by moving to Aberdeen & Grays Harbor County in December 2005 -- we thought we had set down permanent roots. We didn't expect to move to a different community. However, the rhythms of Tao don't always flow in the direction one expects!

This Friday we will close on a our new home in South Bend, the county seat of Pacific County. While the Aberdeen area is small by urban standards, it's a metropolis compared to South Bend. More people reside in the Aberdeen-Hoquiam-Cosmopolis area (about 26,000) than in the entire 600 square miles of Pacific County (21,000). South Bend has 1,800 residents and no stoplights.

Over the next month or so -- after we get this move finished -- I'll tell you about our ordeal in trying to find a home to purchase and why we ended up buying a home 27 miles south of Aberdeen. For now, you'll just need to Google "Pacific County".